


Nico's Love

by Spring_Azalea



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: ...weird tags, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Minor Violence, Post-Canon, Smut, Some angst, a long road trip, big foursome you could say, big love fest for Nico, for specific reason, not for a while though, past relationship, tidbits of fluff, use of some technologies, videos, yay:)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:05:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7802989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spring_Azalea/pseuds/Spring_Azalea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a breakup, Nico has been more withdrawn than usual and has since been secluded in his cabin. This drives three of his biggest admirers to bring about the son of Hades by making him join them in a road trip to Camp Jupiter. At Nico's own reluctance, he eventually agrees. What Percy, Jason and Will don't expect however is a side to Nico they discover through a series of videos pertaining to the events of his past relationship with a boy named Jared. Its only then that the three demigods grow increasingly attached to Nico. All the while Nico is oblivious to their rising love for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Begining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was developed because I was curious to see if Nico could have a 'relationship' with three of his admirers, not like in my first fanfic.  
> There is still a possibility that he could just end up with one person but that just depends on where the story will take me:p.

“Did you hear?”

“…no Perce, I did not. But do enlighten me, _what_ did you hear?” Jason rolled his eyes. Percy glowers for the mock sarcasm; peeved that Jason’s focus remained on the sword he was polishing than on him.

“At least look like you’re interested?” he grumbled.

Jason briefly looks up, his expression openly impatient and annoyed - and only ever directed at him. That was just Percy’s cue to get on with it already. It’s almost irritating how much Jason pretends to care less when Percy knows better. Why else would it peek his interest... well, not really, but he was getting somewhere.

“Its Nico” Percy finally says. This causes a reaction in him. His hands slow over his golden weapon, so at least he’s paying attention.

“What about Nico?” he asks curiously.

Percy looks down at his own sword, discarding the rag he’d been using up until now, and lifts Riptide in the air. The small reflection he could make out on the surface stares back and he frowns. “…That punk Jared broke up with Neeks…” he discloses, stomach secretly twisting in a knot at this fact.

Jason stops the motion of his hands and his brows knit together in confusion but Percy knows he’s surprised too. “You’re saying that’s why Nico’s been distant lately?”

Percy nods. “…always wondered why he was acting strange so I asked around”, he shrugged.

Jason immediately narrows his eyes in suspicion, taking this silent moment to study him closely. Percy can practically see him connectimg the dots.

“You gave Jared his new busted face, didn’t you?” he slowly smirks. Percy returns to his work and offers nothing else but a shrug and a smile. Jason shakes his head disapprovingly, but chuckles despite himself. “…So they broke up, but why bring it up? Are you planning on forcing Nico out of the Hades’ cabin? You know that didn’t end well with Will.”

They both grimaced at the memory.

Not that Will was horrifically disfigured or anything. No.

During his attempts to coax Nico out of hiding, a group of summomed skeleton soldiers 'kindly' escorted him back out. And by that Percy _really_ means he had seen the Apollo boy unceremoniously tossed out.

Funnily enough, several pairs of limbs were pretty attached to Will’s own after that. Bones that Jason and Percy had to help pry off because it was scaring the younger campers, and that hadn't been an easy task.

“You’re only going to make a fool of yourself if you try” Jason adds on, his attention evenly divided between his work and Percy.

“What? No. That's- that’s not it” Percy scoffs, gaze quickly drifting to the side so that Jason can't catch on or hint at what he's thinking.

A small part of him had already decided to give it try because the heartbroken son of Hade was in dire need of some sunlight right about now. Will would certainly agree that it was long overdue.

But, between the two of them, Jason has a more likely chance of getting through to Nico - which he so grudgingly hates to admit. For some odd reason, Nico considers Jason to be one of his closest friends. Aside from Will that is. So with his help, and a decently formulated plan, Percy figured they could make some headway. If he doesn't want a repeat of what happened with Will, Percy shouldn't go alone. But he doesn't want to make Nico feel cornered either.

Solution: bring Jason.

“Oh, I see…” Jason starts nodding his head.

Whatever signs he picked up on, Percy curses himself again for being easy to read. Jason probably knows already that he won't be able to get very far. Jerk.

Chuckling softly, Jason asks, “So what can we do to weasel Nico out of hiding?" Fortunately for him, he kindly passes the opportunity to tease Percy. But seriously, how would he know.

“You tell me” he grumbles.

Nico's sort of known for shutting the door on anyone's face when inconvenienced, and he's definitely not known for small talk. But he sure is talk of being one the coolest boys in camp and that's solely based on his angelic good looks.

Rumor mill can also attest to his awesome abilities as a child of the big three. But obviously, that's beside the point. He's getting sidetracked.

How will they go about hanging out with Nico?

“Hmmm... Hazel’s been pretty concerned about him” Jason brings up, “Last I checked she said Nico only visits her every so often. Not like he used to anyways.”

“Are you going to use Hazel as the lure now?” Percy arches a brow.

“No you idiot, but maybe we could get him to ride with us to New Rome for that summer cooperation thing happening in a few days. Seeing Hazel will make him feel better I'm sure. Kill two bird with one stone, ya know.”

“You really think he’ll just sit in a tin box with four wheels the whole way?” Percy deadpans, “Are you forgetting he’s _avoiding_ everyone?”

“And can shadow travel, yes I’m aware. But I figured we could try. It’s been three months, he’s bound to open up soon.”

“Obviously you forget Nico can be stubborn.” Percy sighs.

“Do you have any better ideas?” Jason countered with a huff.

He pauses to think for a moment but the silence stretches for far too long and Percy gives. He has nothing to offer when Jason stares at him expectedly. Finally, Percy sets his newly polished riptide in its pen form and shoves it in his pocket with a tired sigh. They have their plan.

Jason followed suit, an understanding smile touching his lips. Will suddenly decides to enter the armory in that moment and he stops in his tracks when he spots the two together, seemingly surprised.

“…I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” he warily asks, walking past the side of them to reach a wall of weapons. Percy and Jason blush at the implication, and Will lightly chuckles at the sight. He grabs a quiver and bow before carefully adjusting it around himself. “Don’t suppose you two want to join me for practice” he smiles, already making his way out.

“If only to see how much you suck” Percy instantly grins, following suit with a set of his own archery items.

“You’re one to talk”, Will snickers back.

“Don’t go sticking your foot in your mouth, Perce” Jason also laughs, tagging closely behind so all three could reach the archery grounds.

After a decent amount of training, some bantering words thrown at each other and showing off, Jason and Percy eventually inform Will of their thoughts, all their concerns about Nico, and the trip across the country.

Will was all the more happy to do whatever it takes to help Nico, something that he and Jason found equally amusing. Could he be any more obvious about crushing on Nico?

For some time now, Percy’s been increasingly aware of Will’s affections towards the son of Hades but it was no different from his own feelings, or Jason’s. So he was clearly not one to talk. Not like they even stood a chance with Nico, but they could dream right?

Still makes him wonder though. How had someone as repulsive and arrogant as Jared ever get his indecent hands on the small Italian boy? It was always such a mystery to them. For that douche to even _touch_ Nico was a feat in and of itself.

Percy, Will and Jason are only lucky enough to be around Nico if they don’t do anything to set him off.  Makes everything else all the more unfair. To this day it was still unexplained. Nico however wasn’t open to sharing anything with them.

Then again, the three were the _only_ three that can get away with talking to Nico at all. Everyone else is either ignored, avoided, or too scared to approach within ten feet of him. Percy had to say he felt a _little_ special.

Their small fan club was something of an awkward and weird group, even if they were commonly after the same beautiful person they’ve been admiring from a distance.

Anyway, now that their little lesson on one-upping each other was over, dinner was just in time to greet them. As usual, Nico was nowhere to be seen. Skipping was now a regular thing for him but Will, as always, wasn’t having it.

Percy and Jason decided to join him on his trip to the Hades’ cabin. He was prepared for the possibility of Nico turning them away.

But when they reach his door, he didn’t think they’d come face to face with Jared of all people.

As in the stupid Nike’s boy slamming head first into Jason’s muscled body because his fuming stride out the door was thwarted by their presence there.

He stumbled back through the doorway before properly facing them. He scowled at the sight and promptly excused himself in a hurry without so much as a glance back.

They curiously watched him go but it was Nico’s cool crisp voice that brought their focus back to him. “What are you three doing here?”

Percy turns, a smile taking form on his lips but it slowly fades when he sees Nico’s slightly puffy eyes, his blotchy red cheeks, and the tussled look of his clothes and hair. 

“Hey” Will greets happily, ignoring Nico’s concerning appearance for the time being. Everyone knows that Nico hated unwanted attention. Even if the worry was appropriately valid. Percy on the other hand struggles to keep his questions to himself. Nico obviously wasn’t up to an interrogation. “…We just uh…came by to bring you dinner”. Together, they all hold up portions of the food they snuck out of the dinning pavilion.

Nico stares at it, blinking, and from what Percy could discern, slowly starts to smile. “Oh. Um, thanks” he softly says, inching the slightest bit closer to hold his hands out in gratitude. “…So I missed dinner?”

“You didn’t really miss much” Jason answers with a kind smile, “Unless you would’ve liked to watch Leo’s newest little invention explode in his face. He’s now covered in some colored dye,” he chuckles. Nico seemingly rolls his eyes, really trying for a true smile. Trust Jason to lighten his mood easily.

“I can only imagine”, he murmurs, taking his time to search through the food he was given. Nothing seems to peak his interest as of yet. Percy tries not to frown deeply. It’s almost like Nico wasn’t planning on eating any of it at all. Jason and Will noticed too, so what better way to make sure Nico eats than by kindly inviting themselves in.

“…Nico…” Percy steps up, catching Nico's full attention, “Is it okay if we can come in… We were just wondering if we could, I don’t know, spend some time…since you’re always… uh…” Percy fiddles nervously with his fingers, feeling a bit idiotic now that he’d become a bit tongue tied in front of Nico.

Nico arches a brow, blinking once and frowning.  “I’m not sure you’d like to” he drawls out, “You’ll end up running out of here.”

The three give him matching looks of confusion so he chuckles, leaning against the door frame.

“Well… it’s been long since we’ve hung out” Will simply insists, “Whatever it is couldn’t be that bad.”

Nico stares at them, incredulous, but eventually shrugs, allowing them in by courteously opening the door further. Once inside, Percy chokes down a cry of horror, Jason and Will no different when they spot a row of dead bodies ranging from all kinds of tragic accidents.

“Oh go-” Will gags, mouth snapping shut before he could finish - or maybe he was just trying not to inhale the putrid odor wafting in the air. Nico is slightly amused by the apparent shock in their gaping expressions as they continue to stare. Percy was honestly not expecting this.

“Please tell me you didn’t go on killing spree” Will manages out, promptly rounding on him with wide startled eyes, afraid for his sake, “Are you going to need some kind of alibi?” he whispers.

Nico sends him a flat look before rolling his eyes, “No you idiot.” He places his meal on a nearby dresser and somehow, Percy knows it's going to go untouched for the rest of the day. “I’m just helping my father again. Cataloging. This just happens to be the last of the bodies I need to work with. Do you want to help?” he smirks, coming to carefully kneel by a thinning corpse, patches of shriveled skin barely hanging on to the bones.

“Help bury them?” Jason asks with a grimace.

“No” Nico simply says, adjusting the body to better observe it.

Nico doesn’t speak anymore, his full attention better pointed to probing the skull between his small hands. Percy watches with slight fascination as he runs his nimble fingers over the exposed bones, numerous cracks and chipped surfaces only momentarily accounted for.

“…What exactly is it that you’re doing?” Percy eventually asks when Nico has yet to say.

He bravely steps forward, reaching Nico's side even though he wanted to put as much distance between these bodies and him. Jason and Will hesitantly join him. When Nico does answer, it’s after he produces a clipboard that magically appears out of thin air. Cool.

“Cataloging” Nico repeats absently, rapidly scribbling notes in Greek. Percy vaguely catches words like deceased, some approximated time and what really stood out to him, a name.

“Jo…anna?” he reads carefully, eyes shifting back to the corpse in front of them all. A girl?

Nico hums in response, still aggressively writing. The words were impressively clean and clear but Percy can’t see much with his hand still in the way. It doesn’t stop Will from leaning in extremely close though, and Percy may or may not want to push him away because of it. But he's startled into more confusion when he catches the way Will tenses, mouth immediately falling open, shocked for the second time today and for a whole new reason.

“…This girl…was murdered?…” Will's brows knit together, seemingly uncertain, but the obvious discomfort outweighed that, like the statement alone was horrific enough. His eyes quickly glide over Nico's perfect writing and Nico pauses, his head turning slightly to offer a painful smile.

“…Yes” he whispered, gazing at the body with sad eyes. Percy gapes next, as does Jason. Is she the reason why his appearance was so uncharacteristically rumpled?

At first, he had blamed Jared for Nico's current gloom, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Though why he would be with Nico in the first place was beyond him? He pushed those thoughts aside for now, more increasingly curious over what was happening with Nico and these _corpses_.

“What are you… talking about? Why, uh, murdered?”

“Well...these bodies” Nico softly begins, setting down his clipboard in order to probe once more with gentle hands, “They were only recently uncovered. Right now its my job to give them their name. Find out what happened to them. That way it’ll be easier to put them at rest… Thanatos piled me with this set. Usually he’s not so precise so I’m doing most of the work”, he added with a dismissive shrug.

“…You’re helping lost souls?” Jason says with amazement, rather impressed already.

“For the most part”, Nico blushes, “This particular group were victims of murder but I need to write down every detail I can find that tells me so.”

“Wait,” Percy cuts in, “Are you saying you can tell if they were murdered or not?”

“Yes” he confirms. It was then that Will picks up the clip board, his jaw set in a hard line, eyes glazed with sorrow every time he looks at the body Nico was currently observing.

“This is just horrible…” he states sadly, and Nico nods with equal sadness.

“What’s wrong?” Jason inquires. Nico pursues his lips, but he starts to carefully explain his findings in the simplest of terms, reciting his notes as he points to some part of the body, and they follow with obedient rapture.

“There are cuts around her arms, some on her ribs and a few nicks across her face... " He guides their gaze across the her arms and pauses tensely, "These fractures circling her wrists and ankles, that tells me she was...you know restrained by something..." His jaw clenches and Will bites his lip in a sorry attempt to not look away like they all know he wants to. Nico continues on. "Little cracks running up what would be her elbow, and then this..." he cradles the skull in his hand before turning it gently over. One look at those cracks, the way it looks caved in, and all Percy can think is how painful it must have been. "... It's blunt force trauma.” 

Percy wasn’t sure how it was possible to know what exactly happened from this but Nico made it easier on them with a little demonstration. Using the woman’s lost soul.

Nico stands at the corpse’s feet and whispers into the air, holds his hands out to it, then does a pulling motion. Just like that, a spirit slowly emerges up, a beautiful woman that looked to be in her early twenties wearing simple clothes. She gazes at Nico for a moment before closing her eyes patiently.

“Joanna Mason. 22. Brown long hair. Light brown eyes. 5’4 feet. 127 pounds. Reported missing in 1967 by her family after not coming home from a party with a group of her friends” Nico listlessly states.

Percy, Jason and Will looked with wide eyes as the girl stood motionless, but Percy also gazed at Nico when he noticed his clenched fists firmly at his sides.

“She was…kidnapped, wasn’t she?” Will guesses, looking at a piece of paper he flipped to that wasn’t in Nico’s handwriting. It was an article. “No one’s been able to find her body and everyone gave up, is that right?”

Nico doesn’t say anything, more intent in communicating with Joanna’s ghost before all but suddenly, they’re standing around a street during the middle of the night. Will drops the clipboard out of sheer surprise, and Percy can't blame him.

Nico puts his finger to his lips, and they remain silent. He then starts pointing behind them and it was then that he realized Nico was using the mist to manifest the woman’s memory. When did he learn how to do that?

She’s walking towards them, her hands furiously rubbing at her upper arms to warm herself up from the cold. Snow piled near the buildings and at the edge of the sidewalk. Her foot slightly slips on a patch of ice from her rapid pace but she manages to balance herself. She laughs to herself, slowing down as a precaution but then suddenly stops.

Now she’s looking around, as if trying to find something. To Percy it feels strange because they hear or see nothing. It seems that whoever was following her wasn’t very discreet about it. However, she thinks nothing of it and continues on. Ever so slowly, she begins to speed walk, subtly looking past her shoulder and this time Percy’s certain she’s seen _something_.

Jason and Will intently watch, Nico all the while concentrating his energy on keeping the memory going. It’s scary how much of this was happening and Percy would’ve been a little more frightened if he had seen who it was that attacked her. But there’s nothing.

An unknown force collides with her and she screams, thrashing, kicking, and clawing at whatever was apparently on her. Luckily, she slips away, stumbling to a stand and sprinting as fast as she could.

They all gasp, gazing at Nico to see if he was just as horrified but his eyes are closed. Percy wanted to do the same, but something about this compelled him to continue watching.

Somehow she ends up in an alley, her racing mind probably thinking she could hide. Unfortunately, she’s discovered. She starts whimpering, pleading helplessly at the person cornering her. Percy couldn’t look away as she backs up, tripping and now crashing to the ground, landing on her elbows in order to break her fall.

That’s when Percy remembers the cracks Nico had pointed to before. This was how she got them. She also must have hit her head because she’s momentarily dazed, allowing whoever chased her to grab on. An invisible hand pulls her head up before it’s slammed down. Everything goes completely dark.

The three are gaping at this point, Percy’s stomach especially churning but that’s not the worst part. Nico is weakly moving, holding his arms out once more to bring out the next memory.

This time, they’re in a dim small room, the woman they’ve been watching until now tied with rope restraints. She’s crying loudly, her muffled screams bouncing off the concrete walls but no one comes.

Her wrists and ankles are bleeding, all her hopeless thrashing making the thick ropes bite into her skin. She stops immediately when it seems like she sees something because she glares, her weak sniffles calming down enough to start yelling instead.

Whatever it is, it’s indistinguishable, Percy straining to at least catch a word or sentence, but its nothing. It was foreign and garbled, like he was listening to an old radio past it’s prime. It’s only stops when she’s slapped, her head snapping to the side with a surprised yelp.

This time, Percy actually turns away, not as curious as he first felt because now more than ever, he wants a toilet to throw up in. Whoever killed her must have been one psychotic fucker or hated her so much. She’s a bleeding mess by the time she can’t scream anymore and even them the person doesn’t stop.

Jason and Will are stiff, their own speechless gaze shifting to something else. Nico must realize what it’s doing to them because the memory stops and they’re back in his cabin. If he wasn’t so shocked maybe he would’ve caught Nico in time but Jason was quick enough to grab him. Nico’s breathing hard, his wide rapid eyes moving but not seeing anything.

“J-just give me… a moment…” he breathed out, swallowing down his short painful gasps, “S-sorry, even after all this time I can’t ever get used to it”, he gulps.

Will runs to bring a bottle of water, holding it up to Nico’s lips as he’s closely held by Jason on the floor. Nico looks extremely rattled, shaking intensely from what Percy could see, so they’re all worried. Why would he put himself through this, how long has he been doing this for, and why do it alone?

Percy turns to look at the corpses nearby but he jumps a few good inches off the ground when  he finds Joanna’s ghost directly in front of him. She calmly glides past him to sits at Nico’s side, waiting, expressionless, with not a single movement until Nico’s placing his fingers to her forehead. With a small soft tap, she’s gone.

Nico heavily slumps against Jason, trying to regain much of his composure. Until then, they wait for Nico to catch his breath. When he tries to sit up, Will bravely forces him down, sending him a glare that Nico returns knowingly. Before Nico could start with his protests, Will is shoving the bottle of water in his face.

“Keep drinking” he orders seriously, “You’ve been doing this for a while, haven’t you? All that energy you used up drained you. This could easily kill you if you keep at it.”

“So far, I’ve been pretty well off without help” Nico grunted, slapping his hand away and attempting to move. This time all three of them pin him down so he curses. “Hands off you idiots, I need to get up before it’s too late.”

“What are you talking about?” Jason asks, firmly keeping his arms around his shoulders. All the while Nico is weakly pushing at his head with a seemingly child-like glower. He looked incredibly small this way, innocent and frail. With what had just happened its no wonder he can’t escape from them.

Gods. Shivers of his own are still running down his spine. He’s definitely going to have nightmares. This is exactly the kind of problem he tries to avoid at all cost. Monsters are one thing but real tragic life is another. A more delicate complication that involves too many feelings. Percy can’t deal with that.

Nico kicks a little more earnestly, biting out a few jibing insults but they just sigh, thoroughly used to this kind of thing already.

Not the crying though. Yeah… Nico started _crying_ _,_ and not that small oncoming teary eyed kicked puppy dog look. Full blown loud sob-fest with snot and streaming water works that required a rag, not just tissue.

“L-let go, let go, l-let go already”, he keeps repeating, lightly smacking at Jason’s head but Jason doesn’t react because he’s too busy gawking down at Nico with utter surprise. “Need t-to s-stop it or… it- it’ll keep going…” he chokes out, every word strained and whimpered. The tears increase so he’s curling into Jason’s embrace saying things like ‘idiot’, ‘all your fault’ and ‘don’t look’.

“Um Nico?” Jason lightly squeaks, awkwardly hugging him back as his small hands grip his shirt. “…uh…there, there…” he stupidly comforts but Nico smacks him for it.

They don’t know how long it lasts but when it does end, Nico is sleeping, his puffed face hiding in Jason’s neck. He carefully moves him to Will, only then looking down at himself to examine his partly soaked shirt. “…I think I need to grab another shirt” he mumbled.

Percy and Will blink, glancing at Nico now that he was like this. “Wonder how long it’ll be before he wakes up,” Will mutters, slowly coming to a stand with Nico perfectly cradled in his arms. He moves around, past the dead bodies to Nico’s clean bed.

They tuck him in and silently watch as Nico instantly curls into a tiny ball. Percy frowns, subtly glancing at the other two to see what they’ll do next. When they don’t do anything he rolls his eyes, toeing off his shoes before climbing on next to Nico.

“What the heck Percy!” Jason immediately hisses, grabbing at the back of his shirt to pull him away now that his arms were securely wrapped around Nico. Percy smirks, slapping his hands as well as Will’s.

“I’m just keeping him company” he defensively reasons but maybe he shouldn’t have said that as he openly and bit giddily snuggles Nico warmly to his chest. Wow, he’s so soft.

“Yeah right you fucking prick, get your perverted hands off him” Will childishly complains, grunting when his efforts only manage to slide him over the sheets. With Nico he might add. At this, Nico lightly groans and mutters, nothing they can understand but he’s breathing softly again.

“Ugh!” Will stomps helplessly, grousing out his stream of complaints because that’s all he can do.

Percy laughs smugly, bringing his arms over Nico’s thin body and placing his hand to the back of his head. Meanwhile he’s checking if the boy is finally calming down. The trembling he’d been feeling up until now is coming to a complete stop. It was a relief to him so he stays like this as the two above him continue to snap at him.

They give up after a while, Will absolutely grumpy and Jason slightly understanding. Maybe because he was the one that took Nico’s other side, managing to get the better hold on him the jerk.

“Don’t let those disgusting hands of yours wander Jackson”, Will lastly warns before going to the bodies. Percy rolls his eyes again, but he also lifts his head up to see what Will was doing now.

“I’m going to finish Nico’s work” he glares when they both ask. “This is exactly the kind a job coroners do. I may not be all that precise like Nico but I know _enough_ unlike you two useless dolts.”

Percy shrugs, not denying his useless presence but one could easily care less if you’re contently holding the person you secretly love. Plenty satisfied here. Jason is ignoring everything else too, his eyes softly gazing at Nico as he strokes his hair tenderly out of his face. Nico was angelic even when he sleeps. So cute.

Time passes by, Will working intently for Nico’s sake and Percy’s slowly drifts off. His nose digs into Nico’s soft tuffs of curls, inhaling his natural scent, sweeter and more favorable to the rotting odor still in the air. The last thing he sees is Jason’s blue eyes locked on Nico’s precious face, obviously staying up to keep him safe.

As long as he could keep Nico close himself, he forgets about everything else. Especially that terrible relay of Joanna’s last dying moments. That’s something he definitely wants purged from his mind. Her tragedy is horrible but he doesn’t want them haunting him  in his sleep as well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was writing that part with Nico and the bodies, I always wondered what type of work he would do that didn't involve just fighting monsters. Plus, I think Nico would be a pretty cool coroner - if that were to be his human job sort of thing.
> 
> This is just my wistful thinking and I'm going to roll with it. Please leave a comment to tell me what you think. (•ω•)


	2. Yes or no? Hopefully yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter is here!
> 
> First things first, I wanted to say sorry to anyone that may have been sensitive to any of what happened in the first chapter towards the end. I should have put a warning up and I feel bad for forgetting. The last thing I want is to offend anyone. If that short scene was too much, please forgive me. I won't let it happen again. 
> 
> Second, in this chap. there's like a little surprise around the ending so I just wanted to warn you all of that. It's a bit of smut and no, no don't get too excited because you might not like it. Just know that it's very short and like little to no detail.
> 
> ...I'm actually not sure what's consider little in the world of smut but I've warned you soooooo
> 
> Enjoy!

Upon waking up, Percy was only slightly grateful that he didn’t have dirt all over himself. The hard aches on his back were screaming at him in protest, but this could’ve gone all wrong. So it was better than he could imagine.

To the sound of muffled crunching he opened his eyes and instantly spotted Nico above him. He was peacefully munching away from a bowl of cereal adorably cradled in his arms. There he sat on the wooden railing of his porch, leaning against a supporting pillar without a care in the world. He sure looked comfortable.

As odd as it may seem, Percy felt an uncomfortable pressure over his body. Someone laid on his legs while another was pressed at his stomach, making him wheeze from discomfort. Taking a sore peek down at himself, he found that Jason was using him as his pillow while Will rested on Percy’s legs, perfectly equipped with a blanket and pillow of his own.

“Mornin’ dorks” Nico mockingly greeted. His small smirk came down on them in a condescending quality instead of the sun he was thankfully blocking. “Was wondering when you’d wake up so you could run along” he continues with a cheek-full of milk and Choco puffs.

“Wha?” Percy groggily mumbled, groaning loudly when his back seized up from all the movement, “Shit, Jason get off already.”

“Wher- wa’s goin on?” he dazedly asked, suddenly sitting up and hissing from pain. Percy cringed at the unnatural loud sound of Jason’s back popping. The fear of knowing his would do the same if he attempted to move again kept him frozen. These floor boards are far from gentle.

“Did- did you make us sleep outside?” Jason incredulously asks now that he’s taking in their surroundings. He blushes when a few campers happened to pass by for a laugh or two.

Oh gods. Percy struggles to lift off the dark hard woods and weakly kicking at Will to get him off next. That’s when he finally took the time to fully assess Will’s current state. “…How come Will has a blanket and pillow?” he pointed out appalled.

Will finally sat up, his tousled curly hair hurriedly wiped from his face and he blinks rapidly. “M-morning Nico” he kindly greeted as soon as he sees him. The idiot clumsily comes to a rise but his feet get tangled in the process, “Shit” he mutters, now stumbling towards Nico.

“Seriously?” Jason whispers, also eyeing what Percy was seeing with disbelief.

“Annabeth and Piper came looking for you two by the way” Nico calmly informs with a point of his spoon, ignoring their amusing states for the meantime but Percy’s sure he’s getting a kick out of this. He momentarily cups his bowl, bringing it to his lips for a sip of the remaining milk and when he’s finished he goes on. “I told them you needed rest and they let you be. So… are you well _rested_?” he dully inquires, pointedly glaring at him and Jason.

Percy struggles to his feet and he’s sure that his little whimpered cries are all the answer Nico needed. Just as he slowly comes to a ‘proper’ stand, he glowers at Nico himself. “Oh just great, it’s like all the stress has been lifted” he sarcastically bites.

“I thought as much” Nico smirks. “Feeling ok there Will?” he personally faces, moving from his well-adjusted seat over the railing only to nimbly come down and step in front of them.

Will is silent for a moment, looks to the blanket and pillow curiously, and then slowly nods. “Uh…yeah, I feel pretty great.”

“Then I’m done babysitting you all”, Nico rolls his eyes. “If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you three get lost. I’m a very busy demigod and I don’t have time to take care of you.” He stretches his body, hands in the air with a hearty yawn kind a thing before ever so peacefully walking away with his empty bowl.

“Hold on a minute!” Percy yells after him. His limbs are awkwardly stiff and heavy but he manages to power through, too proud to acknowledge the aching grief his muscles were experiencing.

“Go away Percy” Nico tiredly sighs.

“Was it so much trouble to at least wake us up instead of dumping us on your porch” Percy huffs at him.

“I did try. But you’re all a bunch of dead logs” Nico shrugs, “I did learn something though…” he starts differently, kindly slowing his pace down to allow Percy to catch up, the other two not far behind, “You can be such a drooler Percy. Honestly I was almost afraid you’d drown in your own liquids but then again… you are the son of Poseidon.”

Percy immediately reddens at this while Jason and Will don’t bother to suppress their snickered laughs like the good friends they were. Nico gives him a hint of an amused smile so he makes an effort to excuse himself – but to no avail. Nico ends up stopping his poorly executed words before he foolishly hurts himself any further. “…Anyways, I have to get ready for the days ahead so don’t bother me anymore.”

“Wait Nico!” Jason calls next, shoving past Percy as he stands there still flustered out of his mind, embarrassment eventually replaced with mild surprise. “It’s for the summer event in Camp Jupiter right…”

Nico doesn’t respond, instead trails up to the dining pavilion for more food. That was a good sign. But when he starts making his way back to his cabin, Percy was more than certain it would be the last of Nico they’d see. If they don’t stop him now that is.

“We were actually wondering if we could talk to you about that…” Jason pushes on, making sure that he was in line with Nico’s quick steps. The little Italian boy arches a brow in acknowledgement, encouraging him to further explain.

Percy is about ready to pitch in, knowing that this is exactly what they had planned on doing. But Jason changes everything by taking Nico aside without his or Will’s company. Nico scowls at him for the handling, Percy also wanting to snap at Jason for going off on his own. In the end he carefully watches beside Will, noticing Nico’s demeanor slowly changing from that of an irritated one with a contemplative one.

“Well... I guess its fine… I mean…Will did help me finish faster… and Hazel has been IM’ing me nonstop… … plus, shadow travelling will tire me more…” Nico pensively lists off, looking off into space as if thoroughly pondering something. Jason is slowly smiling, pleased that it had Nico thinking carefully. Will and Percy only wait patiently to hear a ‘yes I’ll go’.

“No, I can’t, sorry” Nico finally answers. With that he turns around to leave.

“What?! Hey why not?” Jason calls out, running up to him when he manages to put some distance between them. Man, he’s too fast. Or maybe they were too sore to move any faster. Percy goes after the two anyways, more than surprised himself when it had just seemed like Nico was about to agree.

“I said I’m busy” Nico repeats, fairly annoyed this time, “That errand I need to do: get the bodies I have to Thanatos in a morgue I always meet him in.”

“Then we’ll help you!” Will immediately offers, clearly jumping on any opportunity to be with Nico, “They’re too many of them for you to deliver alone and even with your shadow travelling you’ll be dead tired.”

Nico stops to looks at him, rather uncertain but it had him thinking once more. It was progress. “I don’t know… its not that much of a fun trip…”

“Of course it can be if you just join us already” Percy gently insists, the other two nodding quickly in agreement.

Nico gives them all a face, pursing his lips and crossing his arms as he scrutinizes them with apparent suspicion, “What is it with you three trying to get me to travel with you?”

“Uh…We j-just-” Jason stutters, somehow caught off guard and trying to find words so he clears his throat, “We just wanted to make you feel better” he mumbles indistinguishably. Nico’s impatient gaze asks to elaborate but it’s Will who steps in.

“You’ve been locked inside your cabin for so long…” Will starts truthfully, “After, y-you know…”

“No, I don’t” Nico stressed in particular anger. By the looks of it, he _does_ understand and it’s obvious that that’s too much of a personal subject to touch upon. Will presses his lips together to form a thin line and Jason doesn’t step up anymore.

“…You’re always alone…” Percy jumps in, “When we try to see you, you push us away and when we don’t see you, it’s because you’re hiding from us. Can’t we hang out without having a reason to? We kinda miss seeing you around.” Percy had unknowingly gone serious but he can say with upmost honesty that he cares deeply when he says this. ‘Course, Nico doesn’t need to know that, _or_ he’s a just little too dense to realize where his concern is coming from.

“Don’t you think it’s about time to stop hiding in your cabin?” Will repeats almost quietly, giving him the smallest impression of a pleading look. Nico starts to blush and uncrosses him arms to fidget with his muffin.

“…Gods…you all sound like Hazel” Nico grumbles, “…but fine” he relents willingly, giving them a tiny hint of a smile. “We just… have to leave the earliest we can. That way we can get to New Rome on time”, he sighs.

“So, you’re really going to come with us?” Percy asks, the start of a big happy smile filling in place of his lips, “You can’t take it back and you can’t complain.”

“Yes, you idiot, I promise” Nico rolls his eyes, “Just get your things ready or something and meet me in my cabin. You’re all helping me carry the bodies to the van we’re taking.”

The three wildly nod in understanding, Percy giddier than he lets on but the stretched grin on his face must give him away. Nico smiles a little wider, seemingly amused by them all before walking away, a chocolatey muffin still in hand.

Under normal circumstances, Nico becomes so obstinate it’s almost hard to work with him. So this would probably be a first for him, a trip with friends that is. Percy’s just glad they were able to get through to him quite easily. Sort of. Usually there’s a lot of exchanged jabs and hissing. Nico annoyed and stubborn most of the time…

Guess Percy should count himself lucky that that didn’t happen this time.

**(▰˘◡˘▰)**

“I think that’s the last of them” Will sighs with relief the next day, closing the back doors to the rented van they had.

“Please let it be the last” Percy whines in turn, lifting his hands to his nose for a sniff before pulling a disgusted face. “Agh! I need to wash my hands.”

“You can do that later” Jason smirks, “We gotta meet with Nico and get our bags.”

“And then we can leave” Will importantly adds, tossing the keys to Percy who had volunteered to be the driver.

Will makes is way back inside the camp grounds to reach the Hade’s cabin they’ve been trailing in and out off for the last few hours. Lunch had arrived so that meant they had to go soon, that way they could get this done and officially head for Camp Jupiter.

It was a secret wish of his to get Nico alone during the summer for a little quality time. A part of him not up to waiting any longer for the son of Hades. It could prove difficult with the other two coming along, but Will is sure he can get Nico alone with him long enough to confess his feelings.

There was no guarantee on how he’ll react but he’s hoping for the best. As he always does when it comes to Nico.

Will smirks when he realizes Jason and Percy started shoving at each other once they break into run. A race it seems. Always have to make a competition out of everything. As they try to step ahead of one another, Will seizes his opportunity to take the lead, laughing when they notice him and try to catch up.

Some campers lifts their heads to see what they were up to but eventually turn away to resume their own activities. Everyone’s been curious when all three of them kept walking back and forth with 15 body bags but in camp you learn to just go with it.

As Nico had mentioned before, Piper and Annabeth caught up to Jason and Percy in order to discuss the plans for the trip. It seems they had intended for the two to join the rest of camp on their travels. That had been an awkward conversation. At least the two girls weren’t totally upset about their own plans. Especially when they mentioned it was for Nico.

Maybe they too were worried about him. In any case, they were left to finish what needed to be done and now Will was giddy at the prospect of commencing a little adventure alongside Nico. And the other two of course.

They stumble on top of the porch stairs, catching their breaths for a moment before going in. Will all too excited to get Nico up and going as soon as possible. However, he stops at the door when he sees Nico harshly whispering at Jared, the boy slumped the slightest bit as Nico continues in frustration.

“Nico?” Will interrupts, which he probably shouldn’t have done but the word sort of slipped out. Nico immediately stops to look at him in surprise. Jared also turns, arching a brow when he sees all three of them entering but he looks to Nico again with a sort of stunned confusion.

“You were serious?”

Nico glares intensely, dangerously gritting his teeth at him like he’s was trying hard not to bare them. Jared raises his hands and wisely takes a placating step back or otherwise suffer trauma to his head, “Ok, ok, I get it. I won’t say anything but if you ask me it’s about time you did” he huffs, turning around and grumbling in annoyance.

“I didn’t ask for it” Nico snaps. For some reason, he throws whatever he hand in his hand at his bed with a bit of force because the small object bounces high in the air. Wonder what that could be?

Jared simply shrugs, coming towards them for the moment but then stops to briefly look back at Nico, “Just let me know when you come back so I can give you the rest.”

“I told you to burn them all you fucking pig.”

“Don’t act like you don’t want them either.”

“Get lost already!” Nico points to the door angrily. Jared allows himself a small laugh, finally slipping past Percy who’s obviously bewildered by this exchange.

They all watch him leave before they turn to Nico. The boy rubs his temples like he wanted his headache to go away so they keep quiet. Will wanted to ask what that was all about but he holds back. Nico was only going to bite his head off if he tries to bring it up. It’s happened.

“…so…” Jason starts, nervously stepping forward as Nico slowly calms down, “…are you ready to go?” he gently asks, picking up a bag or two that Will notices is also Nico’s. He blinks at him and lightly smiles. Oh how considerate.

“Uh… yeah” Nico rubs his arms, walking to Jason to get his small duffel bag but Jason leans away.

“I’ll carry it for you.”

“You don’t have to do that Jace, I already forced you to carry bodies. I can carry my own things.”

“I know you can but I still want to help, so let’s go” he chuckles and moves around him to reach the door instead. All the while, he ignores Nico’s small protests. Eventually, he lets it go and shakes his head at him, following behind obediently.

“Oh wait” Nico abruptly stops, suddenly rummaging through his pockets and taking a drachma out. “I have to make a call to Hazel or she’ll get mad” he grimaces, “Just go to the van and I’ll meet you all there” he directs, hurriedly running out to look for some water and sunlight, “Lock the cabin door ok!”

Will lets out a bemused laugh and comes to Jason with his own bag in hand. When he finds that Percy isn’t at their sides, he turns to see him by Nico’s bed, lifting what had been thrown at it a while ago. Oh? He’s a bit curious so he joins him, but then blinks when all they discover is a flash drive.

The little label it had was an unusual description. ‘Nico – all together in one’ it oddly read. The heck does that mean?

Percy turns it over in his hands, possibly looking for any more hints but there’s nothing. “What is Nico doing with flash drives?” he mumbles to himself, looking to the two beside him. Will hardly knew the answer, but he was more puzzled over the fact that Jared would give Nico such a thing. Did Nico even know how to operate one? How could he?

“I think you need a computer for that but…I don’t know anyone with one except for Chiron.”

“Or Leo” Jason points out, “But never mind that, we have to go so leave that- Percy!” he exasperates, watching as the boy smirks and whistles, like he didn’t _just_ shove that into his pocket. “You idiot, put that back. It’s not yours” he hisses, stepping in front of him when Percy proceeds to leave.

“Aw come on, you want to know what it is too don’t you?” he taunts.

“No I don’t.”

“Yes, _you do_. Now come on before Nico finds out or beats us to the van first.”

“How are you going to see whatever’s in that flash drive?” Will rolls his eyes, “You don’t have a computer do you?”

“No, but Annabeth does and she so happen to let me borrow it” he grins, running along to quickly reach his own cabin.

“You mean you forgot to give it back to her” Jason snorts as he closes the door to the Hades’ cabin though Percy only ignores him.

He leaves his bag behind by their feet to locate the very thing he’s looking for. When he runs back with a thin sleek object that’s most definitely Annabeth’s laptop, he can’t help but wonder what Percy would possibly use it for.

“Why do you have this?” Will inquired, looking to him with wary concern. Percy returns the look with an unimpressed one, that rather implied question somewhat bothering him. What? It’s perfectly logical considering the type of person Percy is.

“I needed to apply for a different college that isn’t in New Rome” he shortly supplies as he locks his door.

Jason frowns at him and so does Will. It’s obvious why that is. Annabeth would be there but that’s all the story he wants to know. Sure they’re still on good terms but Percy is also a little lost without her. He only sighs at this, smirking lightly when Percy is now merrily taking his bag, all three finally making their way to the van.

“Ok. So this goes here…” Percy mutters where he sits in between the two inside the van. Jason made sure to close the doors. If Nico were to come by they’d still be able to spot him from a mile away. Will watches as Percy is clicking things, the screen showing a pop up of the flash drive he inserted.

“…videos? That’s all this is?”

“Click the first one” Jason points, to a tag labeled ‘Nico at the springs’. Ok?

Percy does, sitting back when the screen displays an image of Jared’s grinning face. It appears he’s responsible for all these video. That much is obvious but why so many he didn’t know. And what they could possibly be about, he was about to find out.

Already it was making him really nervous but he ignored the feeling for now. He has recalled the Nike’s boy holding some camera, and quite the professional kind but he didn’t think anything of it. Guess this must be the reason.

The camera pans around, shaking about for a bit but it lands on a beautiful view of a waterfall. Hmm, so he likes landscape scenes? Who knew? For a conceited jackass it was quite interesting. Or at least, that’s what Will thinks before he sees the view closing in on Nico.

He frowns deeply, increasingly unsettled that this would be what Jared had been doing.

“That fucking stalker” Percy uttered instantly as the camera’s focus gets closer and closer. Nico’s right there in no time, sitting in the clear water with his eyes closed, enjoying himself really. He jolts when Jared calls to him but all he does is give him an irritated look.

_“Again with the camera? When are you just going to put that down?”_

_“Never”_ Jared simply replies, laughing a bit when he gets another close up of Nico _._

 _“Back off!”_ Nico pushes at him, throwing some water and Will slowly smirks.

The screen blacks for all but a second until it’s showing another view of Nico cleaning himself. Uh…wow. He finds himself blushing as Nico turns to the camera, blinking owlishly before quickly plopping down, vanishing in the crystalline water.

 _“Wait! Come back you jerk that was perfect!”_ Jared complains. The camera skims over the liquid surface in search of Nico and they find him under the shade of a tree that branches over the spring. Nico glares at him, more annoyed than usual when Jared comes running to him.

_“I said stop with that already, you know I don’t like it.”_

_“Can’t deny an artist’s passion for capturing beauty.”_

Nico makes a face, thoroughly unimpressed and disgusted at the same time. Will could understand because really, that was so lame. _“Can you fuck off now? I want to be alone for this. Will says I have too much negative energy so I need to clean it out of my system. These natural waters need to be untouched by your filthy hands.”_

Will blinks at the mention of his name. Percy and Jason also look to him in surprise. Now _that_ had been a few good months ago. Will had only said it to get Nico long enough in the infirmary. How else was he suppose to treat him? It wasn’t completely untrue but still, Nico actually listened to him. He was touched.

 _“Not Will again”_ Jared suddenly scoffs, and this time Will frowns curiously. _“Are you really going to listen to some idiot who pretends to act like a doctor? He’s just a nobody.”_

“W-what?!” Will snaps, angrily glaring at the screen but mostly at the sound of Jared voice and clear distaste for him. Oh that fucking prick! Jason and Percy blink in surprise, but they're also seemingly upset for him. Then they see Nico turn in the camera so its dumbfounding to Will when he catches how incredibly displeased he is.

_“He’s more than you could ever be you no at all! Now for the last time, leave me alone!”_

_“I’m still waiting for what I came for”_ Jared only calmly states. Nico glares murderously, the water actually hissing around him but when he notices, he stops.

_“No.”_

_“Just do it, and I’ll leave.”_

_“Still no.”_

_“Do I need to remind you that I have that other video of yours?”_

_“Which I’m still waiting for you to return.”_

_“Don’t be like that. It’s been hurting for a while and only you can help.”_

_“Stop being so fucking gross, I’m still not doing it.”_

_“Come on, it’ll be quick”_ Jared insists, impatiently waiting for Nico to agree with him on whatever it is he wants. Just what are they talking about?

Nico isn’t facing the camera anymore, more occupied in delicately pouring streams of water over his head. He looks beautiful this way, in the water, with that glistening skin, illuminated by the clear blue around him, his dark hair adorably flattened.

Will admits it’s a good shot on Jared’s part but he’s annoyed that he would be the first to capture such a private scene like this. Of Nico of all people when it’s obvious to him he’s uncomfortable.

Once Will returns to camp, he’s seriously going to knock some sense into that Nike’s boy. Jason and Percy seem to agree with him on that because they look to each other and nod.

Nico and Jared are still talking and Will slightly missed something because Nico is sighing, getting closer to Jared where it appears he’s already situated himself on the edge nearby.

_“If I find out that you’ve shared this, I’m seriously going to chop your dick off and let you watch as I feed it to the dogs.”_

_“Yeah I know, sheesh. I’m not crazy enough to sign my death wish.”_

_“Good”_ Nico grunts. But he’s blushing into the camera as he gets even closer. Will is absolutely wide in the eyes when Nico rests between Jared’s thighs, unzips the boy’s shorts and whips out his massive erection. Just like that Nico is sucking on it, his pink lips nipping the head as his small hands stroke him almost slowly. Then he takes it all in.

Percy and Jason choke on their gasps, Percy completely horrified and cringing when Nico only continues with his eyes closed.

“What?!” Jason squeaked out in utter bafflement, hands directly cupping the sides of his face with sheer shock. “No, why is he doing this?”

“This can’t be” Will also says in disbelief, watching as Nico bobs his head a bit more earnestly and Jared unnecessarily ‘encourages’ him on, grunted out and inappropriate. A hand patted Nico’s head, so his eyes open to look into the camera as he pulls back slowly. O-oh, g-gods. Unbelievable.

“I’m going to kill him, I’m so going to kill him. I’m going to wring that bastard’s neck” Percy snarls, gripping the laptop with outrage as if tempted to throw it out the window any moment now. Nico’s muffled squeak jolts him back and they all see when Jared’s hand suddenly pushes Nico’s head down.

Nico’s wide surprised eyes tear up, hands now pushing back helplessly and thankfully Jared lets go. Nico’s catching his breath for the moment but Jared strokes himself to completion, a long string of cum showering over Nico’s cute face unexpectedly.

 _“God you look so good like that”_ Jared pants out, rubbing out the last of his orgasm which lands on Nico’s lips. Nico gags, pushes further away as he’s wipes his face with a wet hand. 

 _“What did I tell you about cumming on me, asswipe?!”_ Nico growls, looking at his dirty hands with disgust. That makes two of them.

 _“So what? You’re in the water, you could clean it off in no time”_ Jared waves off, sounding way too smug for Will’s liking. Nico suddenly stops his desperate wipes, eerily stares at Jared or rather the camera, and it’s like they’re witnessing a horror scene in the next instant.

 _“That’s it!”_ Nico yells, jumping out of the water like some nimble cat. The camera drops from his hands and Jared yelps loudly. The video somehow captures the moment Nico calls on countless skeletons and zombies that take hold of Jared by the arms and legs as he’s thrashing around, his flaccid dick annoying still hanging out.

Will is very pleased when they manage to pin him down harshly, Jason and Percy fist bumping together as they see Jared wiggling like an idiot. The next thing that happens is Nico lifting the camera, the screen getting his entirely flushed face with only a few bits off cum still there. Will _really_ wants to reach in and clean it off immediately.

 _“How do you turn off this thing”_ Nico grumbles, looking to Jared most likely and expecting an answer. All they hear is some grunts and curses. Nico glares, facing the camera one last time before smashing it to the ground, Jared’s pleading wails are the final thing they hear before it’s over.

The three sit there staring at the dark screen for a second or two. Meanwhile, Will feels a bottomless pit filling up with some churning worry.

If this is just one of the videos, then the rest are bound to be something similar. They’re sex tapes of Nico… with Jared… and it's disconcerting, regardless if they were together in the past. Nico was only so willing even after he’s continuously rejected Jared. This isn’t right.

He’s only slightly tempted to see the rest but Will jumps when the door to the van is being opened. What?! Percy instinctively slammed the laptop shut, Jason simultaneously grabbing the flash drive with a snap of his wrist and into his pocket.

“Uh…What’s going?” Nico blinks at them from where he stood, gazing at them curiously when they’re stiff in their seats. He catches sight of the laptop on Percy’s lap, arches a brow and sighs.

“If you’re watching porn or something, I’m seriously going to walk out of here.”

“No we’re not” Will calmly denies, crossing his arm with a hurt expression. Just act natural. He can’t know they’ve seen him suck a guy’s dick not long ago. But by the gods, it was _something_ if not somewhat depressing. Jared getting Nico’s lovely lips around him… He’s so going to kill that boy once they get back.

Nico chuckles lightly and climbs on in to settle in the passenger seat. “If you say so. Now let’s get going. Aren’t you suppose to be driving Percy?” he reminds, turning back to them to see him move along already.

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah, let me just…” Percy wiggles out from his place between them and dismissively tosses the device away. Jason grunts at Percy when he playfully presses against him but Percy just laughs, jumping out and scurrying to the driver’s seat like an excited puppy.

“You dork” Nico shakes his head before telling him the directions.

He sees Percy briefly glance back at him and Jason through the rearview mirror when Nico doesn’t notice. He’s unnaturally unsettled and still upset. But there’s something else. Will’s sure he wants to see more of those videos.

This…was going to be a very long trip.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gods, someone stop me now before I embarrass myself. Unless you all think I did an okay job of writing that short scene. Let me know or I'll continue with horrible smut. 
> 
> My poor Nico*sniff*. What have I done! (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)


	3. Having fun? Seems like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, every time I log on I still feel like such a novice ╮(─▽─)╭...
> 
> Anyways, posting this up because its been ready for a long time. And I got impatient myself:p. Just tweaked it a tiny bit:).  
> So first, a little warning for my next shitty attempt in writing smut. I think I've gotten a little better, or I'm just being an optimistic fool:/ By the way, hope you all didn't hate what I did to Nico but also, for the next few to come. Yeah.
> 
> Also, I probably won't be posting anytime soon...  
> We'll see, but hope you still enjoy this chapter(~˘▾˘)~

**(▰˘◡˘▰)**

“No! No, no, no you idiot. Hands on the wheel!” Nico scolded, slapping Percy’s attacking hand as it tries to reach for the bag of chips on his lap.

“I’ve been driving for _hours_. Give the driver a treat, will you!” Percy laughs.

He attempts a second try. Consequently, it makes the car swerve the slightest bit to the left, so Jason and Will had to step in, poking at Percy to concentrate. Nico smugly munches on a piece of chip, Percy pouting the whole time as he does this. Apparently he’s still willing to share with the other two so he’s even sulkier than before.

“If this is how you guys are treating me for the rest of the trip, then maybe I shouldn’t drive anymore” he huffs, thoroughly hurt as all three continue to blatantly share the chips in front of him. Nico offer a pitying smile, exchanging telling glances with blonde one and two before finally holding a small portion out just for him.

“Fine” he chuckles, extending his hand further. It’s kindly presented to easily eat out of so Percy immediately does like a raving raccoon. He’s yelled at for being gross but Nico quietly laughs when Percy is covered in crumbs as a result.

“More” Percy grins, smacking is lips to get any of the lasting taste lingering there. Nico rolls his eyes, wiping his hands to clean the crumbs away and this time just hold a chip at a time. Otherwise they risk another mess. Percy eats it, but then he nips at Nico’s fingers for fun.

“Hey! “ Nico lightly shoves him, but it was to be expected. At least he didn’t punch him, “I won’t give you more if you do that.”

“I’ll help this time” Will suddenly smirks, snatching the bag from Nico and Percy immediately eyes him suspicious. Clearly he’s up to something, but he really was hungry so when he sees a chip in front of him he just eats it.

Percy hisses the second it’s in his mouth and he’s almost tempted to spit out the food. Nico would definitely not appreciate that though. Its super spicy, whatever sauce applied to it burning his tongue the moment it touches it. “Will!” he sputters indignantly.

Will laughs loudly, Jason and Nico only joining when they realize what he did. His anger would have had a lasting effect if not for the hot sauce searing his taste buds. Much more pressing. “Water! I need water! Or milk, give me something!”

“It’s not that spicy” Will chuckles, “Gods, you’re so weak.”

“Not all of us drown ourselves in that stuff” Percy counters, sticking his tongue out as if thinking that could ease the burn somehow.

“Here Percy” Nico offers like the true friend he was. Placing the drink to his lips, Nico begins to carefully tilt it. Percy however desperately uses a bit of his power to pour everything in his mouth. “Don’t do that!” Nico yelps, dropping the drink by accident so half of it spills all over him. Oops.

Jason and Will laugh loudly, and Nico rolls his eyes again. Percy was actually more concerned over the state of his tongue. The prickling feeling has luckily begun to settle, and he’s just happy it isn’t burning that much anymore.

“We need to pull over” Nico now advises, smirking when he sees the ridiculous state of his shirt “…Get you cleaned up and rested. It’s really late anyways and you need the sleep. We can also eat something better than this junk food” Nico lectures, putting the bag of chips away before any off them demand for more.

Wasn’t that Jason’s kind of job? Or Will’s? A considerate Nico is adorable all the same. Still, Percy kinda wishes Nico would show his truer side more often. But he’ll take what he can get.

“Then let’s find some motel or something” Jason suggests, looking out the window to see where they currently are. The freeway is only slightly empty, cars here and there a few feet away from each other. There’s a good chance they’ll find _some_ place because luckily, they weren’t in the middle of nowhere.

“Take the nearest exit” Will instructs, “There should be a place nearby… well according to this” he mumbles as he’s reading that monstrosity of a paper map with a bit of difficulty. Jason the menace –resourceful idiot that he actually is – brought it along but was really the only one who could read it. No GPS on these rides apparently. How he wishes it could be that easy though.

Percy is following Will’s questionable guidance, every so often turning until they’ve reach an inn only slightly smaller than they imagined. It’s better than nothing. Nico jumps out, moving towards the back of the van to open the back doors first.

“What are you doing?” Jason curiously asks, walking with a small bag in hand that could be his set of clothes. Percy should probably bring his own. He looks like an utter mess after all.

“Weaving the mist to make sure the bodies are safely hidden” Nico informs, “I’m in charge of them, remember. They also get kinda lonely. The souls are asking for their own break.”

“What?” Will looks at him funnily and Nico slightly blushes.

“The souls” he repeats, “They want to explore a bit.”

“You can do that?” Jason raises his brows, suddenly interested in what the 'souls' are doing because he’s peeking in. All there is are a bunch of piled body bags.

“Of course. As long as they don’t cause a mess for me, they could do whatever they want. How would you feel if you were stuffed away and left for this long?”

“Not good” Percy instantly answers, scrunching his nose as he also sniffs the air, “And it stinks.”

Nico smiles and turns again, lifting his arms out to gesture a pulling motion. Balls of dim light whirl out from the inside. They take form little by little and Percy spots a man in his 30’s that kinda reminds him of a lazy junkie. He blinks at Percy and grins, offering a small wave of his hand before he disappears.

The rest of the souls do the same but a few linger curiously behind. One in particular makes him uneasy. It’s actually Joanna, facing all three of them with eerie concentration. As she floats the slightest bit closer, Percy feels like taking a step back. Then she suddenly smiles.

“Hi” she seems to whisper, waving kindly at them that it takes Percy for a loop. She…can talk? “I remember you three. I’m sorry for scaring you all the last time. But I also want to thank you for helping Nico. Bye.” Then she’s vanishing like a flickered light.

He’s lightly gaping into the empty sky but then he hears Nico’s soft chuckles. When Percy looks to him, he sees him sweetly patting a small boy’s head. The ghost child giggles, something that’s echoed and lost in the wind. Nico takes his hands and pulls him in the air, making the boy laugh some more before he’s gone too. Whoa.

“Ok” Nico sighs contently, walking toward the open doors to shut them, “Let’s see about getting a room. Then some food” he calmly says, shrugging off his backpack to take out a big wad of cash that looked like he’d been collecting for years. It seemed like a lengthy amount and Percy had trouble not staring with wide eyes.

“That’s a lot of cash” Will quietly whistles.

“Uh…yeah I- I actually don’t know how much this is” Nico admitted absently, “Dad said it was an allowance but I’ve never used it before… don’t even need it really…”

“ _That’s_ your allowance?” Jason muttered in disbelief. Must be nice to have a father that’s partly in charge of all the world’s riches.

“Yep, it’s weird that he’s still trying to do that whole _parenting_ thing…” Nico sighed and shoved the cash in his pocket, “He keeps finding different ways to make it up to me for ignoring the first few years of my life.”

“Wait, you’re not really talking about Lord Hades…are you?” Percy blinked at him. Nico frown in confusion before raising a brow.

“Yes, who’d you think I was referring to? Doesn’t Lord Poseidon do that for you?”

“No” Percy answers instantaneously while Will and Jason silently agree the same. “I don’t even get a phone call.”

“Oh…uh, that’s too bad…” Nico awkwardly rubbed his neck. Percy merely shrugs, rather uncaring and honestly not offended in any way so he assures Nico of that when he looks guiltily towards him.

“So what are the ghost going to do?” Will inquires as they finally walk on, quickly over the whole matter and having a smile in place. It’s nothing they should really worry themselves about. Percy knows that gods are just too busy for that sort of ‘parenting’. All except for the lord of the underworld it seems.

But Will did genuinely sound excited than worried about the ghosts Nico let loose and Percy’s kinda the same. “Who knows" he replies, "They’ll mostly wander for a while. Usually that’s all they do. Sometimes they cause trouble by scaring people but it’s all harmless fun to them.”

“That’s so cool” Will whispers with a grin. “So they’re the ones on all those ghost hunter shows.”

“No, no” Nico stops him right there that it makes them arch a brow in question. “Those are just humans trying to scam the world into thinking they see ghosts. Everyone knows that they can’t see anything through the mist unless that very ghost wants to be seen, and that’s never the case” he shakes his head knowingly.

Percy laughs in amusement, ruffling Nico’s hair like he was just _precious_. “Thanks for setting us straight then.”

“Guess they really do like trouble” Jason brings up, “I mean, look…” he points. Together they all turn to see a man tossing his cigarette bud to the ground to stomp it out, but he does so clumsily. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out he was drunk, what with him chugging down a bottle of beer too.

Percy watches as the smallest glimpse of a ghost tilts the bottle higher than needed so the drunk man chokes on the excessive liquids. The ghost then pokes his forehead when he’s stumbling back which eventually makes him trip and fall.

The man just groans, lays where he is with no attempts to get up, and falls asleep quickly. It’s oddly amusing but he’s almost afraid to laugh. When Nico does, he figured it was ok. The ghost wiggles his fingers at them once and then zooms away into the night. Take note, never mess with a mischievous ghost.

“…Come on, it’s cold out here and I’m starving” Percy gestures along, skipping up to the door that’s seems to be the entrance. Once inside, Nico walks up to a surly looking man that only grunts in greeting. Some welcoming pitch.

“I don’t want you kids causing trouble in my inn. Go somewhere else to deal your drugs.”

Nico blinks in surprise, looks to them uncertainly but eventually steps forward despite the man’s rude comment. Nico sort of looks small under him and Percy doesn’t like it. “We’re not dealing drugs… all we want is a room to spend the night in.”

“Oh no” The man snarls, “I don’t want you homos getting into some orgy in my place. Scram kid.”

“What?” Nico frowns deeply, confused by what he was told and Percy is almost positive that he’s never been talked that way before. Will immediately jumps in and Jason pulls him back before the man could say anything more insulting.

“It’s nothing like that” Will says with a huff, “We’re dead tired and hungry, so give us a room with two beds. We have enough money to give you.”

The man crosses his arms, looks them over skeptically and eventually gives a curt nod. “Fine. Take room 307. If I find out you four are doing something illegal, I’ll kick you all out” he bites before tossing them a key, and only then does Nico give Will the money the man asks for.

The three gently drag Nico away, surrounding him in the safety of their bubble when the man yells a little more homophobic slang. They thankfully make it inside their room and Percy admits it’s cleaner than he anticipated. The outside may look shabby and worn down but it was a good thing cleaning policies were key around here. 

“Is there somewhere we can eat?” Jason mumbles, taking out that one atrocious map Will had been using for the trip to scan it carefully.

“I could check online…they have free Wi-Fi here” Percy smiles. It’s risky but Percy really doesn’t want to deal with that horrid thing.

He had brought his laptop with him and honestly, he only did so for a specific reason. Jason and Will gave him a look that told him well enough they knew what he’d been planning. Nico shouldn’t catch on to anything though so he quickly takes it out to find a diner or something.

Nico showers first, not taking a minute longer than needed. They sort of insisted on it even when Percy was the clear slob there. Once out, they go in one at a time and then leave to look for a 24-7 quickie mart or drive through. Nothing else was open at this late hour so they get lucky when they actually find a McDonald’s. They’re literally everywhere.

Percy finds it absolutely adorable that Nico marches up to it, expecting them all to follow no matter what. Even more cute was the small happy meal he orders, toy included. He gives them all a glare when they smile widely but is content enough to munch on his fries and burger as he’s eyeing his toy.

“A mini game?” Nico repeated with wonder.

“Yeah” Percy chuckles, handling the small toy between his fingers to start it up for him. “They’re really not much fun if you ask me but you’ve never played one right, so here.”

“Press those buttons Nico” Will nudges, showing him exactly what he needed to do. And that was how Nico engrossed himself completely with that cheap game for the last hour.

It’s funny how he grinds his teeth in frustration when the awful buttons aren’t cooperating right, but most of the time he’s smiling like he’s actually enjoying himself. Percy sort of finds it entertaining to watch, even if Nico doesn’t acknowledge them enough for a chat. Jason tries anyways.

“I’ve been wondering for a while now…” he starts when he sees Nico set the game aside for a drink.

“Yeah?”

“Yesterday when you first showed us those bodies…when we saw Joanna’s memory. About her murder…” Jason now struggles to finish the thought. In fact, he finds himself with a loss for words, obviously looking for a way to ask what the hell was up with all those disturbing illusion of someone’s death.

Nico stares at him, already understanding where he was getting at. His teeth nervously chew on the straw still between his lips and it almost seems like he wants to look away. Soon he starts fidgeting which immediately worries Percy. Maybe it’s too much of a touchy subject for him as well.

“She…asked me to do it” Nico eventually mumbles, just when he thinks he wouldn’t say anything, “Joanna I mean.”

“What for?” Percy blinks confusedly.

“Well…When souls suddenly find themselves with me, they’re usually void of any recollection of who they were before their deaths or how they died in the first place. All they know is that they’re dead and…in need of guidance…” he strays off, sighing softly to himself now that he didn’t have more to say.

“You did mention that was your job” Will brings up, “Does that included what you did for Joanna?”

Nico nods slowly, pushing away his cup on the table. “…not all ghosts ask for it, and I couldn’t say no to her.”

“Is that why the murderer wasn’t seen?” Jason softly asks.

“Partly but that could be because she didn’t want to see the person either.”

“Must be hard to deal with information like that…why do you do it?” Will frowns, in a more concerned kind of way.

 “I know they take a toll on me, so it’s good I don’t do it for every lost soul. Then there’s the matter of those bothersome side effects” he huffs, “But I figured it’s the least I could do for them. They were innocent in their previous lives after all.”

“So…you do it because you want to?” Percy slowly smiles, watching as Nico slowly starts to blush but quickly looks away when he realizes what he’s implying. “You’re as soft as they come you know that” he chuckles.

“Shut up” he grumbles, taking his drink once more to chug the rest down.

“I’m guessing Thanatos doesn’t do that for all souls, does he?” Percy now asks.

“Not really” Nico shrugs, “But it’s also not a problem for him. He’s just too busy for that nowadays.”

“Nico?” Will jumps in, getting the boys attention right away, “Can I ask why you started crying after that whole thing with the memory?” Nico furiously heats up at the mention of that, groaning and slumping further down his seat like he wanted to hide under the table.

“You just did you moron…” he mutters but he answers anyways, “Those are emotions I feel for Joanna. They pass through me for a moment and I can stop it in time if I find a quiet place to calm down but you three idiots were in the way” he accuses with a point of his finger. Percy feels strangely amused to bother acknowledging his annoyance at them.

“It washed over me quickly so I couldn’t stop it this time” Nico grumbles, crossing his arms and turning his head away, seemingly upset with them.

“Aren’t you happy that we kept you company?” Jason laughs lightheartedly.

“If by company, you mean useless help than no, I am not” Nico narrows his eyes, “Don’t even get me started on the effort I had to go through to dump your lazy asses outside.”

“Hey~” Will pouts, “I was plenty help and you know it.”

Nico purses his lips at him and looks away again, “I gave you a pillow and blanket for that. Just take what you can get.”

“…Oh yeah” Will blinks, smiling widely after like he was all the more happy to know he received special treatment.

That love-struck idiot must seem to forget he was still made to sleep outside. Percy didn’t like it but then again, he should have known Nico wouldn’t have appreciated finding three boys on his bed upon waking.  Something worse could have happened if Will hadn’t decided to help finish Nico’s work.

“Guess we kinda deserved it” Jason accept with a smile, “Maybe next time you can tell us what to do to help you better.”

Nico slowly peers at him, appearing sort of surprised for a second but he schools his expression in to that of an uncaring one. Maybe he didn’t expect him to offer any help at all. Silly Nico still doesn’t seem to grasp the idea of their willing assistance. How much they love to be with him. That he’s a joy to be around.

“…W-whatever” he grunts, “If you’re all so eager to touch decaying corpses, then I don’t mind the help.”

“Aww, you really do like our company” Percy grins, suddenly wrapping his arms around Nico to smother him in a hug.

“Percy!” he hisses, “Let me go you big seaweed brain! I could care less about your company! Hey are you listening” he thrashes, pushing at his face to slip away but Percy laughs and presses him further into his embrace.

“Admit it” Jason now joins in, “You secretly like that you’re with us. Aren’t you glad?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Nico now smacks at Percy, adorably snapping for his release but they all laugh. “Ugh! Get off me already or I swear I’ll dump my soda on you” he warns seriously but what’s fearsome about an angelically cute face flushed on both cheeks.

“You’ve already finished you’re soda” Will smirks, shaking what could have surely been Percy’s demise, now only filled with a couple of ice cubes. “I for one am happy you agreed to the road trip. I know you are too” he teases.

“No I’m not” Nico insists defiantly, making an effort to wiggle out of Percy’s arm but he had a pretty tight grip on him. Nico is still as soft as he remembered. When nothing seems to work for him and all their teasing increases by the minute, he exasperates and gives up.

“Ok, Ok. I’m glad I’m on this trip with you guys, so can you let go already” he sulks at them, his gaze looking up to Percy as his chin rests on his chest. So cute~

“See? Was that so hard?” Percy laughs, snuggling his precious head next that it muffles the last of Nico’s protests.

“Gods, you three are insufferable” he states once he’s free, too tired to attempt fixing his disheveled appearance. He suddenly shoves Percy with enough force to have him slip off his chair. He yelps loudly before he’s kissing the floor and groaning. “Now that we’re all done, we can go” he smugly smiles down at him, moving around his seat to lightly walk over his back like some step stool.

“Hurry it up you dead fish.” Nico impatiently toes at him with his hands to his hips when he doesn’t move at all. Jason and Will are currently laughing their asses off to bother helping.

“I’m so going to get you for this” Percy grumbles, hide how much his arms suffered to cushion his fall.

“Not when you’re on the floor like that” Nico grins before walking off. Man, that boy is something.

**(▰˘◡˘▰)**

“I think he’s finally asleep” Jason whispers to Will, both boys peeking from their side of the bed to where Nico was currently sitting on an individual couch.

Yep, Nico took that instead of a bed for the night even after they offered it to him. If he was afraid of one of them sneaking in beside him…maybe he had a right to be, but Jason wouldn’t have done that if he was uncomfortable with it. The other two would have understood as well. But same old Nico is as stubborn as ever.

What’s done is done though. He slowly tip toes closer to the son of Hades and briefly glances back to see if Percy had left the bed he’d been on for the last few minutes. Now he digs his arms under Nico, making every move as careful as possible to ensure Nico remained asleep.

Jason silently walks towards an empty bed with a small son of Hades now perfectly in his arms. His slow sighs hitch a bit from the swayed movement but thankfully he doesn’t wake. Percy tugs the blanket over Nico the moment he sets him down, and he smiles when Nico instantly curls under it, the top of his hair the only thing that’s seen in the dark.

“There” he softly chuckles, “…Now I’m going to take the first watch…” he voices, turning towards the other two standing behind him. The minute he does, Percy clutches his arm and forcibly drags him to a small round table where that thin laptop of his lay untouched. Oh great. He should’ve known.

“I want to watch more of those videos” Percy blurted out quietly, plopping down on a seat as he continues to pull Jason’s arm.

“Have you no shame” Will rolls his eyes, “Aren’t you furious that Jared made sex videos of Nico?”

“Of course I am!” Percy immediately hisses, snapping the device open with a disgruntled growl, “I want to know how far that jerk got with Nico so that I know how long I’ll need to pummel him into a bloody pulp.”

Jason could get down with that logic. A part of him finding it amusing how seemingly eager Percy is to see Nico a ‘certain way’. Even if that means a disgusting Jared behind him or over him or…any other way. He sighs tiredly, stepping back a bit because he doesn’t want to watch anything any time soon.

Nico had been violated. Half consent or not, he hated what he saw of Jared and Nico. Then again, he had been a little curious about the other videos. It was quite an amount, something that also made Jason’s stomach twist in knot at just the thought of them.

“Come on” Percy nudges with a pout, “I just…I just want to see one and then I’ll turn it off.”

“I don’t know…” Jason whispers, cautiously glancing back at Nico to see if he was soundly asleep. Sure he’s known to be a heavy sleeper but one could never know how long after he would wake. Whether it be an hour later or 2 days after, Nico is unpredictable at times.

“…I kinda want to watch too…” Will admits after a while, blushing lightly as Jason blinks at him in surprise. He looks to Percy next, the dope grinning in triumph so it makes him huff indignantly.

“Ok…” he relents albeit begrudgingly. Quickly, before he changes his mind, Jason digs into his pocket and takes out the flash drive he’s had all this time. There was no way he was going to leave it with these two. Especially not Percy.

He brings another chair over, and Will somewhat shares the seats by sitting in between. The only thing keeping them from leaving was Nico’s vulnerable state. Who knows if monsters are lurking about nearby? It took Nico a long time to remotely hide their ‘presence’ so it’s still far too dangerous to be alone.

With one last wary glance at the Italian boy they turn to the screen, slot the small device in and start the second video. “Some of these are kinda misleading…” Jason mutters in annoyance as Will clicks something that read ‘Nico waking up’.”

“Jared probably intended it this way” Will frowns, “But… maybe they’re exactly what they say they are…” he hopefully suggests. They exchanges looks, and sigh together. It’s highly doubtful that’s the case.

“Make sure its low…” Percy lastly nudges.

The scene sort of surprises Jason a bit. This time it’s of Nico in his cabin, soundly sleeping – an absolutely endearing sight really. The way he has his arms and legs around his pillow, it’s like he’s crushing it for cuddles. So he can’t help but blush, take a subtle peek at the real Nico, and blush some more. So cute.

The camera focuses, moves forward and skims over the sight of Nico on his side as his face is buried deep in the pillow. Jason gulps when he notices Jared’s fingers lightly tracing over Nico’s bare legs, slowly making their way to his thighs and higher.

His own hands ball into fists to ease the impulse he has of punching a hole through something. He can’t help but feel an unpleasant pressure at his chest when Jared’s finger now tries to lift the hem of the large shirt Nico’s wearing. Nico does look good like that though…and that shirt…it’s oddly familiar. Maybe because it’s purple like the ones for Camp Jupiter. He’s bound to have one even if no one catches him wearing them outside.

In any case, he forces himself to continue watching when Jared finally stops touching Nico and moves back. The camera catches a glimpse of some bodies on the floor near the end of Nico’s bed. They hear Jared gag, the boy quickly moving away and saying something Jason doesn’t like.

 _“Disgusting…Can’t you find something better to do Nico?”_ he grumbles quietly before stepping to the side and reaching for a chair. Now what is he doing? Meanwhile, Percy snides a mean comment about him being gutless while Will says that the bodies are a far better sight then his ugly mug. So true.

There’s a moment when they can’t see what he’s doing until the camera is set aside, perfectly adjusted to take in Nico entirely. Please don’t let this be what it looks like. Jason’s almost ready to shut it off when Jared carefully climbs onto the bed with a grin, inching closer and closer over Nico’s legs.

“Don’t you dare rape him…” Percy growl’s angrily at the screen, his narrowed eyes close to slits at this point.

Jared only caresses Nico’s smooth skin, playing with his flesh as he’s whispering to Nico. It seems he’s trying to wake him up. At least he has some decency to continue things with both parties awake. Still…Jason cringes when Jared’s hands cup Nico’s exposed thighs more openly.

The tips of his fingers draw near the very small boxer shorts Nico’s wearing, starting below his butt. If there were any ghosts in Nico’s room, he sort of wishes they’d jump on Jared and kick him out already. But nothing like that happens. Instead Nico lightly stirs, releasing a sleepy sigh, but he isn’t remotely awake.

Jared huffs and goes for a second try, this time nipping Nico’s skin with small bites and kisses.

“You’ve better of brushed your goddamn teeth…” Will grumbles but Jason’s sure that was the least of his worries.

They see Nico jolt a bit, turn his head an inch or so and its then that half of Nico’s precious face is revealed. When Nico moves again though, Jason snorts a laugh that he has to quickly catch. Nico had suddenly smacked Jared’s head with a bit of power that makes him hiss in pain and roll to his side with a pathetic whine.

 _“…stupid… bugs…”_ Nico slurred, scratching the part of his thigh where it had been nipped. _“Go away… you damn mosquitoes…”_ he continues with a slow mumble. The three of them grin and laugh a little more.

Of course Nico would sleep talk this innocently. Just darling~

“Go get him Nico” Will whispers to the screen when Jared’s still recovering from the agony brought on his head.

 _“You are so going to get it…”_ Jared threatened lowly, moving back to his position over Nico once again. Jason would’ve probably bit out a repulsed comment about keeping hands to oneself. However, he also can’t help but appreciate how much of an Angel Nico truly is.

By that he means Nico snapping awake with a horrified gasp when Jared all but gropes Nico’s ass harshly and then immediately kicks that very person to tomorrow. Jared yelps painfully when his back collides with the wall on the opposite side of the room and unceremoniously crashes to floor with a winded groan.

Nico simply blinks, his head turning from side to side like he was slightly lost before his gaze lands on the very person he had just sent flying. Serves him right.

“W-wha… What the fuck! Jared? What are you doing in my cabin?!” Nico yells, slipping off the bed and disappearing under it. Probably helping that Nike’s boy up. Nico should have just left him on the ground.

Percy cackles quietly at Jared’s demise, Will letting out a few chuckles here and there when Nico is only hissing at Jared to leave. The scene shortly transitions to a different one, and it’s of Nico holding Jared in a fujiwara armbar lock, screaming at him about being some pervert. From this angle it’s quite scary and Jason can only assume that the camera had fallen at some point.

_“If I ever catch you doing this to me again I’ll rip your arms off!”_

_“W-wait, w-wait, sto-!”_ Jared chokes but Nico pulls and presses harder than to bother letting him talk.

_“How many times do I have to tell you to stay out! Aren’t you always complaining about the smell and dead bodies you fucking imbecile! Even Jason has a stronger stomach than you, you lily-livered chicken!”_

_“L-let- go…”_ Jared wheezes, more red-faced and desperate as Nico glares on murderously. His legs and feet thrashing and kicking around on the floor is all he can manage to do.

Jason smiled when he heard Nico say that about him. It’s quite an ego booster. Compared to Jared, he does admit, he’s quite used to Nico being around the ‘undead’ – almost all the time. Every so often it’s still an unsettling sight but that’s just a part of Nico. And he loves all of Nico. In his nature, doing what he knows best, like yesterday.

After a few more minutes of Nico holding Jared in a dead lock, the camera blacks out for second. Then, Nico’s on his bed again, seemingly irritated. The camera is back on its ‘stand’ and Jared is nervously coming towards Nico, the Italian boy all the while eyeing Jared like he was thinking of hurting him again.

 _“Just this once…”_ Nico says for some reason. Ok? What’s going to happen now?

 _“Really?”_ Jared complains, _“I thought maybe you could also-”_ Nico gives Jared a venomous glare that makes his mouth shut immediately, the rest of what he was going to say lost with his fear. _“Ok, I get it, but…you can at least look like you want it.”_

 _“That’s because I don’t! Now get on with it before I change my mind about this”_ he snarls, plopping down on the edge of the bed that’s directly in front of the camera. Oh…

 _“I’m sure you’ll like it”_ Jared easily grins, crawling around behind Nico before settling in, legs on either side of him and chest perfectly flushed against Nico’s back. Nico gives him a disgusted look for the contact and comment, in no way shape or form enjoying himself.

Jason gets a little nervous when he sees Jared continue on, his hands wandering to Nico’s thighs again liked he was charmed by them. Only bright side to this is Jared’s face completely out of frame while Nico…well, he’s blushing brightly, timidly turning his head away and fidgeting when hands find themselves inside his large purple shirt.

 _“Hey!”_ he squeaks, eyes going slightly wide as he looks down at his chest, _“Don’t touch me there!”_

_“Relax will you. I’m not going to hurt you. Promise.”_

_“W-wait…”_ Nico grabs the hand under his shirt but his breath hitches a bit.

Jason blushes when he realizes what’s happening, when Nico is squirming more, when his eyes clench shut as Jared slowly lifts the shirt up. He couldn’t look away as one hand clutches Nico’s chin to forcibly tilt it back. All Nico does is let out another startled squeak as he endures the feeling of Jared’s hand all over him. So this one is completely about Nico…

 _“You can moan too”_ Jared chuckles, kissing Nico’s open neck after. Jason’s happy to see Nico’s attempting to shrug him off, but then he gasps when Jared presses a hand between his thighs. Knees automatically close and a hand grasp at Jared’s arm like a reflex.

“D-don’t, w-wait, ple-”

Oh gods, he looks so small and helpless but also… really, really cute. There are these little meek breaths that he couldn’t quite suppress as he’s being touched. The moment the hand increases it’s rubbing motions, Nico begins to bite his lips, breathing harder and unconsciously spurring Jared on.

 _“You starting to feel good now?”_ Jared unnecessarily teases, biting the shell of Nico’s ear before running his slimy tongue down to a part of his shoulder that’s somewhat exposed. _“You smell so good…”_ he mumbles against the skin.

Jason is sort of bewildered when Nico chokes out a very small audible moan. It seems like Jared is getting somewhere with him. He partly wants him to stop but also gets increasingly interested when Jared quickly places his hands on Nico’s hips.

 _“Let’s get these out of the way”_ he eagerly states, hooking his fingers over the shorts before brazenly sliding them down Nico’s long legs. One arm worms around the waist, the other hand helping Nico strip. Apparently Jared isn’t satisfied enough because he locks Nico’s legs around his own to keep them open.

Nico yelps, his hands hurriedly tugging his shirt down to hide himself but Jared eventually makes him let go. Jason, Will and Percy are now watching with wide eyes as Nico’s being jerked off, his small cries helplessly leaving his parted lips every so often before he’s biting them in embarrassment.

 _“Bite this or you’ll ruin those pretty lips”_ Jared says with a smirk, shoving a portion of his shirt into his mouth but actually keeps the hand there as he attacks his neck with kiss after sloppy kiss. Nico’s chest is exposed and arched towards them, his muffled moans still heard through the shirt in his mouth. There’s a few tears that slowly slide down his cheeks despite having his eyes shut.

Everything there makes Jason feels utterly hot under his own clothes. He admits, he’s turned on to see Nico like this. Jared is an added nuisance to the show but at least it’s most of Nico that he can watch. And by the gods it’s a sight to behold. Just when Jason thinks it couldn’t get any better, Nico cries out a little louder, obviously close to his release.

His twitching body thrashes against Jared’s firm hold but somehow he frees his legs to have his knees close like before. Nico sort of braces himself by gripping onto Jared’s upper arms. Suddenly his chest is reaching the ceiling, head thrown back over Jared’s shoulder with a muffled moan and convulsing hips snap periodically.

He just came all over Jared’s hand.

A sleek drop of drool rolls down his chin at the end. Gasps of hot breaths ghost over Jared’s neck. Loose hands slip down to the bed. And his heaving chest tries to get back under control. All this is just giving Jason shivers down his spine, and the small bulge in his pants increase in size.

That was hot. Nico was hot. He has this tempting desire to get his hands on him too. He kinda wants to do it now. Buts that’s a big fat no. Eventually he closes his mouth and sneaks a peek at the other two. Both are just as speechless and awed. Maybe aroused but he wouldn’t blame them. It is Nico after all.

 _“Fuck that was sexy”_ Jared breathes out, pressing Nico closer to him by wrapping his arms around him and kissing his face or any skin for that matter with an open mouth.

Jason frowns when it looks like he’s getting needy, desperately touching every inch of Nico while the boy is still high on his orgasm. Nico groans and tries to push away but Jared suddenly pins him to the bed and attacks him with even more kisses.

 _“What are you doing?!”_ Nico sputters in horror.

 _“What do you think?”_ he only replies with a cocky grin. _“I need some action too.”_

 _“N-no! Hey! Let go of me, I said no!”_ Jared ignores Nico, his face buried deep in Nico’s neck while hands possessively clutch his ass. He wouldn’t dare!

Jason instinctively leans forward and the other two sort of do the same. Just as Jared rips the shirt off Nico’s body, he’s almost ready to scream in anger. Nico actually does it for him because he’s throwing Jared off him and holding the torn shirt in his hands like he’d witnessed a tragedy.

_“You… you…you fucking idiot!” Nico yells absolutely horrified, “This was Jason’s you jackass! How am I suppose to give it back now! Ugh!”_

_“Who cares about him!”_ Jared snaps back, rubbing his stomach where Nico had directly kneed him, _“I’ve got needs dammit and I just wanted to- oof!”_

Nico had thrown a pillow at him in that moment. Which then leads him to fall back and off the bed, legs only minutely lifted in the air like an idiot.

 _“It was special and you ruined it!”_ Nico growls, grabbing another pillow to throw at the camera that was still on next. After that, all they hear is Jared’s fearful screams and the sound of a few punches. _“You better figure out how to fix it now or so help me you’ll be joining the bodies I have in my room! Don’t think I won’t find a way to give you a nice spot in the fields of punishment!”_ With that the video was over.

The three of them are sitting in the silence for what feels like a long time. At one point Will lifts what Jason knows is his shaking hand to close the laptop, but continues to sit in the dark. The only sound in the room was their soft breathing along with Nico’s, thankfully still asleep. Just as they left him.

When Jason thinks he’s about ready to move to a stand, he feels heavy and breathless, his numb fingers only capable of gripping the flash drive he now had in his hands. His mind was in a whole other world, lost in the memory of video Nico but something else.

“…so that’s what happen to my shirt…” he finally mumbles out. “I was sure I had lost it…but…I had no idea Nico was using it to…sleep in...”

Jason’s head feels like it’s burning immensely and he’s almost sure that Will and Percy are staring at him in their own disbelief. Because maybe they were thinking the same thing. Nico sleeps in his shirt. Nico had loved that shirt. Nico had almost killed someone for it. Holy cow…

“I think… I need to use the bathroom” Jason meekly announces, stumbling out of his chair and hurriedly walking to a door on the other side of the room.

“Don’t take too long” Percy says to him.

“Make it quick” Will also hissed at the same time.

Guess they really are no different from him.

Jason was going to try to avoid thinking of Nico in his clothes but for the time being, it was all he wanted in his dreams tonight. This trip was probably the best and worst idea he’s ever had because it means being close to Nico all the time and sadly, so far out of his reach.

That’s definitely going to test his limits one way or another. And these videos, there are bound to be more just like it. Nico utterly unlike himself and absolutely lovely.

Shame starts to weasels its way into his heart, a bit of guilt screaming at him to respect Nico’s privacy, to have never watched these videos, to have stopped Percy from taking the flash drive in the first. Whatever Nico had done with his former partner is none of business.

But then again, there could be more to learn from the rest. A little insight to some of Nico’s secrets that he’s been dying to know about for a long time…

Oh gods. Jason is seriously going to lose it one way or another. Right now, he actually needs to take a load off – how shameful, Jason – and sleep. Or else be tempted to binge watch the entire content in that taunting little device weighing in his pocket. 

He _still_ feels shamed when he exits the bathroom. Will and Percy don’t even bother to tease. Maybe they can’t because they’re so dazed, both intently staring at Nico’s sleeping silhouette. If only he can crawl right in, be next to him for the rest of the night, hold him to his chest and watch how relaxed his precious face is.

But he doesn’t. He couldn’t. Sooner or later he will.

When he builds enough courage to also kiss him and tell him he loves him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So tell me guys, did any of you also play with those cheap games? I know I did and now, I wanted Nico to play with one too.  
> When I had first written this I had a lot of fun putting them all together like that. You know, sort of goofing around. I also felt like the three would constantly try their best to bring that mild fun out of Nico when they could. Such good friends;)
> 
> And don't mind the smut of course...it won't always end up like that...། . _ . །.  
> Leave a comment and tell me what you all think. Bye for now:)


	4. A short before continuing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It's been so long...:)
> 
> This is just a short chapter. 
> 
> I wanted to inform you readers that all my work has been completely lost to me due to an accident with my laptop (｡•́︿•̀｡). Only a few stories that I've managed to save are with me and I recovered a few files, so with what little I had I made this.
> 
> Don't worry I have the next chapter and it's in progress. It'll come in pretty soon, just needs a little more editing.

*****

Next morning comes sooner than they all expect. For one, Nico jolts up and scares the living daylights out of the three of them. “Something’s wrong” he had disconcertingly uttered out before jumping off the bed without another moments thought.

Once Will joins him where he’d run to the window, he discovers a small group of people gathered around their van. It appeared like someone was having trouble breaking in through the back.

Question is, why were these unwanted guests trying to force open the doors?

Nico cursed, his swift stride towards the door momentarily paused to briefly look back at them. “All of you stay here, I’ll handle this.” With that, the boy is quickly making his way down.

Will runs after him while the remaining two stay behind to watch from above. For all they know, this was just a group of thugs gathering as a means to rob someone, so they can’t bring _too_ much unwanted attention to themselves.

Then again, as demigods, Will can _also_ assume this isn’t an average carjacking.

He wasn’t entirely positive what Nico was thinking of the whole situation either. Usually one is suppose to call for help or yell to stop. Anything other than kicking someone square in the face. The very first thing Nico had decided to do when the group of men turned in surprise.

Guess that rules out Nico giving a fuck in the world.

“Back off!” Nico angrily bit out, shoving the one that was directly in front of the van for emphasis.

“…Aren’t you… the motel owner?” Will suddenly points out, blinking at the surly mean man they’ve met in the night. “What’s your problem?”

In response, he narrows his eyes and crosses his arms, his scrutinizing and very accusing gaze landing on both of them. “You kids are hiding something and I’m here to find out. Hurry up and open the doors!” he orders another man.

“I said back off!” Nico cuts in, glaring at the owner and his apparent lackeys, whoever they may be. “We’re not hiding anything and you have no right to do this!”

“You’re in my motel so it’s my business.”

“You’re taking this way too far” Will jumps in, making sure to stand between Nico and the man because Nico might ‘accidently’ punch him. “Whatever you think we’re doing, you’re way out of line. Nothing is going on here so can you let this go?”

“Open the van and then we’ll see” he gruffly insists. It’s like he’s lost his patience now. What a paranoid, strange man.

“No way!” Nico answers as he unceremoniously shoves Will to the side, facing the tall man himself like a disobedient child, “That’s _our_ business. Motel owner or not you still have no right.”

“Little shit…” He unnecessarily makes a grab for Nico.

If there is one thing Will’s learned from experience about Nico, it’s how reflexively fast he is. His provoking ruse however, _that’s_ the real problem here. Nico is not one for such a thing, but that’s exactly what he’s done. And right now, he’s engaged himself in a one-sided fight against the motel owner.

It’s not really much of a fight if all Nico does is dodge the beefy man’s attacks. In all seriousness though, the situation escalated far too quickly for him to do anything about it. All Will can do is uselessly stand to the side and watch.

Still, that this person would so blatantly charge at a minor because he’s not being cooperative speaks for itself. Unless of course, he’s no ordinary man.

“What the…”

Will slightly flinches at the sensation of a strange energy stagnating the air. The few men that were around him suddenly collapse and he jumps away on instinct.

What could possibly make people smoke and vanish one at a time like that?

He worriedly glances back to Nico’s fight. It takes a moment for him to adjust his vision past the mist clearly in the way, until finally, he sees a monster slowly taking shape as Nico runs away like his life depends on it. Because it does.

“Run!” Nico shouts at him in panic, “Don’t just stand there gawking, run!” Will yelps when Nico harshly clutches his arms and pulls him on.

There’s a flash of movement that blurs the minute they try to escape. Suddenly, Nico screams in pain and collapses, falling forward on the ground for some reason, but then he sees the large hand crushing his leg in a vice like grip.

“No!” Will cries in horror, making a grab for Nico’s outstretched arms now that he’s being pulled back.

He has no weapon and Nico has no sword. A monster has them at its mercy and Nico has been captured. There’s absolutely nothing he can do when Nico is mercilessly thrown to the side. The boy rolls a few good times before he comes to an uncomfortable stop.

“I knew you kids were hiding something” the monster hisses, slowly coming to face Will next in all its hideous glory.

“W-what are you!?” he uselessly asks, scrambling to whatever safety he could fine. Which sadly is nowhere to be seen.

He’s completely wide open, and some distracting fear starts to trickle its way inside him when all he could do is back away. Also, he was in no reaching distance of Nico where he lies motionlessly on the ground. That is definitely not a good sign.

A blackish blue hand extends towards Will in response. Its gangly claw-like fingers try to take a hold of him just as it had done with Nico. It’s just his luck that something decides to trip him up as he shuffles back, so the monster charges faster.

To his next surprise, Jason takes that very opportunity to collide with the thing before it could even reach him. Its large body is sent flying in the air. Will can’t help but wonder if this had been Jason’s plan… unintentionally make him the bait…

What else could be explained of his late arrival? But he couldn’t delve too much on that thought.

In his haste to stand, he still manages to catch sight of Percy running directly towards Nico. Only then does Jason rush him forward too. His worried gaze was locked on Nico now that Percy had him in his arms.

His forehead was sporting a big bloody cut, curtesy of the graveled ground. Concerning scraps run along his arms too so Will takes over quickly, healing what is much of his raw open skin. Fortunately, Percy thought ahead and swiftly passed him his small cross-shoulder bag that stored all his medical tools.

While he went to work, Jason alone watched as the monster helplessly stirred around. Right now it still lay in a heap of mess above a car it landed on. It was calmly looking for a way out instead of going on a dangerous tirade, rampaging like other monsters normally do.

Blaming demigods, yelling how much they’ll enjoy eating them, getting whatever clubbing weapon they could find nearby to bash them in. Stuff like that. Even that human form they were facing before had a more feral bark than this creature.

What a weird looking demon though. Nothing Will’s ever seen in his demigod life.

In fact, it’s the first he’s seen something so oddly tinged in its sickening dark skin. Those vicious long teeth are a danger in and of itself but they aren’t bared in any snarl. Also, that cloak around its shoulders looked like that of a goat but he wasn’t certain.

Its appearance was odd, yes, but its behavior was rather questionable. When it managed to free itself from the confines of the dented car, it simply walked to their van, ignoring them in its peaceful trudge to the back doors. Again?

Nico groaned softly, so he didn’t bother to care if it wasn’t currently after them.  Slowly, Nico opens his eyes to squint up at him in confusion. It’s good to know he didn’t have a concussion but Will didn’t want him moving about for fear he might get hurt.

Unsurprisingly, it’s not his decision to make because Nico attempts to sit up regardless of his concern.

“I’m better now” Nico speaks up, weakly nudging at his chest to get him away. Will and Percy are reluctant to let go, but Percy does so if only to take his own sword out and stand in front of him in a protective stance.

Jason takes what appears to be Nico’s stygian sword and passes it to Nico’s awaiting eager hands. Will places his bag around his chest, morphing at his command so that a bow and quiver of arrows appeared in its place.

Nico takes a minute to collect himself, still sore from the earlier attack. He remains seated on the ground by their feet while they silently continue to watch the monster clawing the doors open, curious to know what it was trying to gain by doing this.

There’s a hole that Will knows is going to be difficult to repair. But that’s the least of his concerns when the monster now grabs a hold of a body bag that plops down heavily. What in the world?

“No!” Nico yells suddenly that it makes them jolt in surprise.

He’s jumping up and running to the monster alone before Will knows what’s happening. Nico foolishly tackles the beast and it does nothing to slow it down when it rips open the bag, revealing one of the many decaying bodies.

“Nico!” they all call after him, wide eyed and bewildered when they see Nico trying to wrestle the monster down to no avail. It only swatted at him as if he were a pesky fly. The monster’s jagged dirty teeth now bite into the corpse and Will swears he could hear it screaming in agony.

“No! No, stop you animal you’re hurting him. Stop!” Nico kept pleading, using his sword to thrust it in its back. The monster snarls in reply but resumes to eat rotten flesh.

A ghost Will hadn’t noticed until now flickered to existence, hissing and flying towards them in terrified haste. Maybe it thinks they’d offer it help but then it starts wailing.

Nico immediately runs his swords through the monsters mouth to cease it from further eating the corpse. “Eurynomus! By Hades name I swear I’ll find you a bottomless hell that has no bodies if you don’t stop!” Nico coldly vowed, his menacing glare staring directly into to that of the monster’s as he holds on.

Percy hurriedly takes is own sword to help Nico get him back to safety. Jason jumps in to help move the body away. Will’s sure they’re secretly asking a million questions but they’re a more action-right-away than give-me-answers-now at the moment.

He takes a hold of the ghost in front of him and almost jerks back when he finds he can actually touch its physical essence. Normally it’d be impossible but his body simply moves after that, pushing the ghost into its rightful place and relieved to see it rest obediently.

That’s when the rest appear, surrounding them in a display of absolute distress. Will’s gaze lands on the ghost child that he recalled had been playful with Nico, watching in fear as Nico and Percy are getting tossed around like rag dolls. They pick themselves up to charge again anyways.

Jason does the right thing and touches the child but runs into his arms in response. He’s bewildered but keeps him close as he silently cries.

“Take us to our bodies” one of the ghosts whisper. Will isn’t at all surprised to know that it was Joanna floating towards him. “Eurynomus won’t stop, but if you take us to our bodies we might be okay.”

“The monster?” Will muttered, “Why’s he doing that?”

“You don’t know?”

“What is he?” Jason also asks, gently patting the ghost in his arms to soothingly calm him down.

“A demon spirt that usually dwells in the underworld” Joanna answers, “He mostly keeps to himself, minds his own business really and is plenty satisfied if he has corpses to eat from but…” she frowns deeply, gazing back to the monster Percy and Nico are handling to stop it from reaching the other body bags hiding in their van.

“…we don’t know why he’s here” she sadly provides, looking lost herself and scared when the monster roars in annoyance. She clenches her fist and faces Will again with some sort of determination, “If he eats our bodies we’ll be lost. Our souls are still connected to our physical forms here until we’ve reached Lord Hades’ realm. Eurynomus will only continue to consume but Nico won’t let that happen so help us. Please.”

“Of course we’ll help” Jason instantly assures, “…but for now, you got to be patient.” Jason carefully moves the boy back with the others so he could easily whip his sword out. “We’ll give you openings so you’ll have to move quickly.”

“And don’t hesitate” Will adds after, fixing up the one body bag by their side to conceal the corpse better. This one will have to be placed back where it belongs. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult a task even if the fight is starting to fall behind.

It’s true that Nico won’t let any harm come to them, but from what Will can tell from his strikes, he’s beginning to tire. Which means it’s time to move already. “Hide somewhere safe and get to the van when we tell you” Will orders seriously, taking his bow in hand and stocking up an arrow.

He nods to Jason to get ready himself so when he aims to the monster, he accurately hits its shoulder. That got his attention. The demon growls in anger when he seems to realize he wasn’t getting his way, so he launches towards them next.

Each stride taken shakes the ground he stands on and it’s almost difficult for Will to steady his second aim. Nico and Percy readily jump up with their swords to slash at the demon’s feet and make him trip. Once he makes sure the ghosts are gone Jason takes to the air, weaving his gladius around and waiting for his opportunity.

His moment comes when Eurynomus falls. His sword pierces through the monsters back when he throws and as a precaution, he calls to the sky for some lighting. Meanwhile, Will quickly handles a special arrow when he notices that this was his best chance to further pin the thing down.

A net explodes around the monster when he shoots, knitted from a few designer metals specific for killing monsters. “Now!” Will calls out in the open, “Get to the van now!”

Percy and Nico looked absolutely beat, half leaning on each other with little triumphed smiles but that vanishes when the monster tries to rip through its restraints. Jason pulls away with his sword in hand and runs to Percy and Nico with the one corpse they had retrieved, Will following right behind to help pull them in the van.

Jason silently decides to drive this time, shoving the keys into their slot and starting it up. They’re zooming down a street in record time, honking cars only so often left in their wake. Nico stumbles to the back to check on the bodies and frowns deeply when he discovers something amiss.

“Joseph…” he whispers, piling the bodies carefully to the side even with Jason’s crazy driving. He’s calling out names like he was doing a roll call but he stops at the last one. “Joseph!” he repeats with a gasp, “He’s not here!”

They watch as Nico hurriedly crawls to the damaged back doors and forcibly kicks them open just to see that the monster they were trying to escape from is right behind, its anger full intact. The ghost child he’d thought was already safe is securely in its grasp and thrashing wildly with its cries for help.

Will is baffled once again when Nico instantaneously jumps out and yells to let him go. He himself can’t do much else other than point his arrow at Eurynomus. Will’s glad his shot catches the monster’s arm outstretched by its side.

Joseph is free when the hand loosens and he flies directly into Will’s open arms, sniffling and clutching him tightly. They all look back when Nico continues fighting with the underworld spirt and a dreadful feeling starts to form inside him.

“Time to take you back…where you belong!” Nico grunts, grabbing the monster around its neck in a hard grip as if to brace himself. Suddenly, he’s falling into a shadow their van casts because the sun had risen far enough in the sky to help make one.

Will anxiously waits to see Nico come back already. When 10 minutes pass by, he’s close to telling Jason to stop and turn back around. Just as he’s about to, a dark shadow opens up from inside, spitting out the son of Hades along with an arm that tries to reach in.

It doesn’t make it because the shadow closes at the snap of Nico’s fingers, Eurynomus tremendous outrage on the other side snuffed out immediately. He’s extremely relieved when Nico is moving – struggling to sit up – but he doesn’t let his exhaustion stop him from hugging the little ghost child that flies into his arms next.

“…I think…I still need more sleep…” Nico mumbled before slumping tiredly to the side and passing out, Joseph perfectly snuggled in his arms.

Could any other morning be as horrible as this one? Will didn’t want to discover that anytime soon. Instead, he should count his blessing and thank Zeus all mighty that they had made it out seemingly alright.

Will checked on all of them, Percy with a few minor bruises and cuts, Jason ok but tired and Nico the worst of them all. Fortunately not too bad. Nevertheless, Will hated how unnecessarily hurt he was.

Could he have prevented it?

Not likely, but he wished he had made a bigger effort to pull Nico back and avoid big risks all together. But of course, he’s reminded yet again that it can’t be helped. Being a demigod plain sucks when there are monsters lurking in practically every dark corner.

Safety isn’t always a guarantee, but how he wishes that wasn’t true with them. Maybe that’s just his paranoid mind excessively worrying over Nico’s wellbeing now that he was in this state. His medical riddled brain is overdriving with a list of all he needed to do in order to pin Nico down for a week’s worth of rest.

Something tells him that’s not going to be easy.

In the meantime, he just settled for cradling Nico in his arms to give him the least bit of comfort.

Not much change has gone of Nico’s persistent – or rather stubborn – strong will, and it’s a testament to his power. But watching over him like this, making sure he’s securely held close to him, the sight of his weary face…its almost unreal how much Nico has matured, and yet, appear so helpless.

Maybe once he’s become an even bigger part of Nico’s life, settled into a place inside his warm heart, will he be able to give him the proper care he so readily deserves. To watch over Nico…that would be a dream come true for Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't how I wanted the story to go but it's all I had to work with.  
> I'm trying to figure out how to move the plot along with what I originally intended, but for now I'm posting this to help me in the meantime. 
> 
> The plan was to have them goof around together and then have Percy Jason and Will watching a video of Nico and Jared but that'll have to wait for the next chapter. 
> 
> I'll probably have it posted by tomorrow... maybe...


	5. Could have been worse? ...Probably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just posting the chapter I promised you all. (✿´‿`)  
> Hope you all like it.  
> Enjoy~

Percy happened to catch the moment Nico first woke up. They’ve currently stopped around Spruce Knob to set up camp after traveling somewhere northwest of Virginia. If the map they’ve been reading was any good then they _should_ be heading to the New River George Bridge.

Nico simply opened his eyes and blinked up in surprise at Percy. Or really the sight above him. “Hey.”

Jason and Will immediately dropped their plates of ‘goo’ and quickly made their way over to Nico as he struggled to comprehend their current location. “Stars…” he adorably muttered out.

“Good to see you’re finally awake…” Will sighed with relief.

“How are you really feeling though?” Jason’s concern filled voice inquires firstly.

“’M fine” Nico dismisses, seemingly preoccupied with scoping the area around them.

His eyes search the landscape intently, his senses on high alert in order to make sure they were safely hidden despite already being deep in the woods. Green trees surround them almost perfectly, their towering silhouettes providing enough coverage to shroud out anyone from knowing their location, especially monsters.   

“How- how long was I out?” Nico softly asks, loud enough to hear above the crackling fire and chirping insects.

“The whole day” Percy answers equally soft, shuffling forward with a clean wet rag in hand. He uses it to ever so carefully dab the side of Nico’s face where some blood had dried and crusted. “We sort of thought you’d sleep through the night too…” he mumbled and slowly smiled at him regardless of the way Nico stiffened in place, “…Had us worried all day, you know.”

Nico doesn’t respond, instead, he unnervingly stares at his face as if he’d done something wrong, his sudden care over him possibly startling him before quickly leaning away in realization. “I see…”

Percy tried not to take offense in Nico’s reproachful gaze. How he clearly just avoided him.  For now, he sets the rag aside and continues to lightly smile. Relief in knowing he was just awake far more important than Nico’s sentiment over him at the moment.

Pushing off the blanket covering his legs, Nico attempts to stand but all at once, they move to hold him back. Nico doesn’t take too kindly in this so he scowls and shoves them away, “I need to check on the bodies and contact Thanatos” he explains tiredly, “So let me go.”

“Y-you’re still healing Nico” Jason reminds, his hand pressing gently on Nico’s shoulder, mindful of the bandages on his upper arm. “Rest some more before you try getting up.”

“Sleep” Percy also adds, “I’m sure the bodies and Thanatos can wait ‘till the morning.”

“Hands off” Nico bites, shoving them again but he hisses in pain when he’d made a swift move to the side.

“Don’t move so fast” Will chided, “I can’t let you up because you’ll only end up hurting yourself.”

“I’ve had worst, you all know that so please just leave me alone” Nico grumbled.

“That may be the case, but it’s different now. We’re all here to make sure you don’t excessively push yourself” Jason reasoned, watching as Nico closed his eyes to mask the next strike of pain running through his body from all the movement he’s doing.

“Dammit all…” Nico cursed under his breath.

Will takes this opportunity to lay him back down on the sleeping bag, deliberate in his effort to keep him there as he places a hand to his chest. With a growl Nico slaps his hand away. Percy almost senses the beginning of something terrible coming forth when he saw the harsh way Will was treated.

Will merely gives him a look before rummaging through his personal belonging and producing a small canteen. Nico immediately frowns upon it and turns over. “Oh no you don’t” Will calls him out, clutching his arm quite aggressively so Percy has to blink a couple times to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. “I already wrapped up your wounds but you have to drink this, so here.”

“No” Nico glared at him, pulling a face and swatting the thing away from him. Will was faster though so he held it out of his reach. “I told you already, I’ll never be able to down that disgusting murky mud drink again. Who cares if it’s Hedge’s miracle milkshake?”

“It’s not milkshake its-”

“I already know what it is. That’s _why_ I don’t want it” Nico cut him off, turning the other cheek to be as far away from him as possible.

“Well, you’re not going to get any better without it so hurry up and take it.”

“No” Nico simply responded.

Will narrows his eyes the slightest bit, “Take the drink Nico.”

“No.”

“I said take the drink Nico”, he insisted a little more impatiently.

“No.”

“Stop acting like a child, it’s for your own good.”

“Yeah right. It gives me horrible aftertaste. And don’t get me started on how dry my mouth gets” he scoffs.

“It’s supposed to be _good_ for you” Will reiterates with an irritated huff.

“Then _you_ take it. I’ll just sleep...” Nico feigns an exaggeratingly tired yawn, hands sneakily moving downwards in search of the discarded blanket. Very swiftly, Will pulls the blanket away and grips Nico’s arm the same time he pops the cork off the canteen. He all but _shoves_ the drink in his face.

“Will!” Nico starts but yelps the second Will forcefully pinches Nico’s cheeks, the canteen far closer to his lips than before.

In their puckered state, Nico still manages to curse at Will, demanding for his release. Jason and Percy are left to stare horribly wide eyed as Will very persistently clutches Nico’s face and angrily ignores the claw like grip of Nico’s fingers on his arms.

When he tries to scuttle away, Nico is simply held down, so all he can really do is childishly whine at Will about being ‘unfair’. Which was quite the understatement.

The only other time Percy had ever seen Will this way was some odd years ago when Clarisse, who at the time was in a terrible accident, kept running off to train. She’d been specifically ordered to rest for at least 2 days so that her countless broken bones could mend right.

The medical demigod stomped over to her with such a fury of pent up rage it scared about half the new recruits that year. After that, Will had Clarisse basically chained to her cot where she was made to take permanent resident for a week.

Percy always assumed that Will was supposed to carry on this sort of gentle and considerate disposition when it came to being a healer. Turns out that that isn’t always ever the case. That day Percy learned Will had his moments and right _now_ it was truly a lesson to be learn.

You can’t say no to Will when it comes to your health. Will _always_ knows best. So honestly speaking, Percy can understand why he’d go this far when it comes to Nico. If it means he gets better, than he fully supports his decisions. Even if his methods were a little overbearing and crass.

Damn...Maybe he should help a little.

Nico chokes and regurgitates much of what Will had poured into his mouth, so Will frowns disapprovingly. He sets his strikingly angry blue eyes of them next and he swears his hands start to shake over his lap. Percy shares an almost terrified look with Jason and they flinch when Will snaps at one of them to come over.

It was Jason who hesitantly holds on to Nico while Will clutches his thin wrist. The two work together to keep him restraint of all the weak thrashing but Percy can still see Jason being ever so careful with Nico when he cups his face.

Will tilts the drink to let the liquid fall past his parted lips. By the end of it all Nico is absolutely tired, his small body slumping heavily against Jason and he groans almost in pain.

“Dammit...” he weakly moans, starting up a mild coughing fit and turning to his side with his back to Will. “You big jerk...” he adds softly, a hint of a whine laced in his hoarse voice before going quiet.

Will smugly smirks down at him and turns to his bag. As for Jason, he holds his fingers up to his face in curiosity and sniffs. “Oh my god-” he immediately gags, his expression pinched as if repulsed by the sight of his own hand, “This smell awful!”

“Jason” Nico eerily starts, “I will literally shove my fist down your throat if I hear you complain again” he growls threateningly.

“Oh, right. S-sorry” he meekly apologizes, wiping his soiled fingers on a rag nearby without Nico noticing. That bad huh? Then Nico definitely has every bit a right to complain. But it’s not like Will can help it.

Percy knows that if Nico were just a little more cooperative, a little more understanding, that he’d simply see this was all in regards to his health, it’d probably make things a lot easier for him. Then again, Nico has always had this terrible habit of ignoring the consequences. Meaning the state of his body.

He’s not totally reckless...he does things for a reason...has a plan 90 percent of the time...manages to escapes with his life... but still. Percy just wishes he consider the risks better. Realize that getting in harm’s way isn’t always the best course of action.

But who was he to say? He shouldn’t lecture. Not now anyways. Percy shakes his head of the thought and crawls over to Jason’s side. They offer a smile at Nico when he peeks up at them but he returns it with a weak glare.

“You feel more grounded” Will speaks up, his hand gently pressed to Nico’s arm as it slowly slides down to reach his thin fingers. “It’s working...”

Nico snatches his arm back and huffs, “Leave me alone, I’m mad at you.”

“Won’t be for long” Will teases knowingly, draping Nico’s small form with a softer thicker blanket he had pulled from his bag. Nico calmly breathes out, not saying anything for a minute, then lays on his back and grumbles at Will, the edge of the blanket up to his nose.

“If only the others knew you can be a total asshole.”

“Takes one to know one” he crosses his arms and laughs.

“At least I don’t go tormenting the injured” he accuses before sticking his tongue out and hurriedly bundling up. He covers his head and effectively shuts them out but Percy chuckles at this. His behavior sort of reminds him of a pouting child.

Will bravely pokes him where his forehead should be and smiles. “Be mad all you want, I was only doing it for you.”

“I would’ve been fine without the drink” Nico argues back, his voice muffled by one layer of blanket.

“The drink helps with your condition Nico. Besides, we don’t want another episode... you scared me half to death the last time it happened...” he trails off more seriously. Jason and Percy quickly look to him in question, this _completely_ new to them, but he shakes his head and sighs. What episode, Percy still wonders.

“...Idiot...I’d never let it take me... You wouldn’t have the satisfaction of tormenting me again if it did...” Nico calmly states, his reassurance apparently surprising Will and for whatever reason has him smiling widely, “...I’m under strict rule by my doctor to not die after all...”

“...That you are” Will quietly agrees, his eyes going peculiarly soft as he watches Nico shifting under the blanket. Nico pokes his head out, Percy catching the way his lip tugs at the corner in the shape of a smile. Clearly there was something going on between the two that Percy had no part of.

He shares a look of confusion with Jason but in the end lets it go.

“By the way” Nico interrupts the somewhat silence, “Next time you do that to me again I’ll _snap_ your arms like a twig!” he coldly threatens, his intent to maim evident in the way he speaks. That lucid image of a smile escapes Percy now that he sees Nico glaring at Will.

Naturally, Will stiffens in place, his head frantically nodding in understanding when Nico’s glare only intensifies. “O-okay” Will gulps. “I get it, but I... I’ll probably do it again anyways” he slowly grins.

“You’ve. Been. Warned” Nico ominously says, “And don’t expect me to play doctor for you either.”

“That’s not very nice” Will petulantly responds.

“Hey” Jason cuts in before they continue with the bickering, “Why don’t we all just sleep. Nico, you still need your rest.”

Nico gives him a face but nods shortly after, adorably curling onto his side and peacefully closing his eyes. Will slowly looms over him, the three remaining where they are so they could watch the way Nico easily relaxes. The scowl, the stress in his expression, all the worries of the world, vanishing completely.

They gaze a little longer, Percy trying to memorize every detail of Nico’s cute face. So he’s not yet realized just how long he’s lost himself to his staring until Nico’s eyes snaps open. He blinks at them and they flinch, Percy himself blushing in embarrassment. 

They’ve been caught leaning in. Nico must think they’re a bunch of creepers the way they’re hovering around him. But then Nico brings his arms up, the three of them absolutely startled the moment Nico’s hands cup the back of Jason and Will’s heads.

He offers a sweet smile, one Percy’s never seen before, but then, all too soon, he harshly grips their hair and smashes their forehead together in all of 3 brutal seconds. Percy cringes in sympathy when he hears their skulls basically cracking.

Jason and Will cry out, falling to their backs and palming their new injuries in agony. Holy shit. Percy should have expected much, but damn. Guess Nico got them back.

As the two roll around on the dirt whimpering, Nico contently snuggles back into his blanket and sighs, “Goodnight~”

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

“This isn’t working” Nico huffs. He tosses aside the van’s distorted back door after their sixth attempt to snap it back in place. He crosses his arms and turns to Will and Percy, daring them to start but they keep their mouths shut.

Will can’t blame how frustrated he is. They’ve been at it since the morning and it’s already 12.

“Jason, have you made any progress?” Nico now inquires. He gets a reply in the form of a soft curse. Will sees Jason round the van to meet them, the demigod looking worst for wear, dirty with grease and oil from working under the hood.

“Look” he begins tiredly “Just because Leo is a mechanic genius I spend time with doesn’t automatically mean I know anything about cars and how they work” he pouts at them, throwing the filthy rag on his shoulder to the ground to emphasize his own frustration.

Nico arches a brow and hums quietly, “Is that a no?”

Jason’s pout deepens, “Yes that’s a no!”

“We wouldn’t be stuck like this if you hadn’t crashed the god damn van into a tree”, Percy grumbles quietly beside him.

“Hey, it’s not like I did it on purpose”, Jason defensively states, “I did my best to escape and if you haven’t noticed, we’re in the _forest_.”

“Well, you should still learn how to drive around trees” Percy huffs. Jason turns red from embarrassment so Will speaks up before they start a fight, and judging by the way Jason clenches his fist, he was right to step in.

“Let’s worry about it again after a break” he advises, holding out a new clean rag for Jason to take although a bath would be more suited to clean all that grime on his face and hands. “We can try looking for help once we eat something too.”

“Will, there’s isn’t exactly a town within walking distance” Nico reminds.

“Yeah but maybe there are campers nearby. Who knows, they could help.”

“I doubt it...” he shakes his head.

Nico suddenly looks down at himself, pulls the hem of his shirt and frowns when he spots the dirt, dried blood and ‘mud drink’ blotches. Stains that also cover some of his pale skin. He eyes the rest of them and pulls a slightly disgusted face. “We look like we haven’t bathed in weeks.”

“Sort of feels like it too...” Percy sheepishly agrees. “A bath would be nice”, he wistfully sighs.

“Too bad there are no shower stalls in the forest.”

Nico walks to the side doors and searches for his bag. Curiously, they watch as he reaches for his clean clothes while ever so slowly a ghost floats its way to him. Will, lost to the conversation going on between them, simply finishes the rest of his oatmeal he’d left behind.

Thank god Percy still acted like a child at times. Otherwise they would have ended up with a bland breakfast. His sweet tooth was ever so clear to him when he had claimed to have brought his secret stash of cinnamon apple oatmeal. The ‘little genius’ was kind enough to share it with them – quite smugly too – but was much ‘kinder’ in offering Nico a second pack that he’d refused to give to _him_...mean.

It was great and all, but he’d rather have a bigger lunch befitting all of them. If they don’t get the van on the road already, they’ll resort to granola bars and snack packs. Not quite what he was craving for but that’s all they had on them.

“Take care of the bodies while I wash up” Nico requests aloud. “I won’t be long.”

“Wait, what!?” Percy immediately sputters, “W-where are you going?”

“N-Nico...” Jason also whines at him. The two demigods quickly jump in his way, obstructing his path when they see him starting to leave. Instead of shoving them away, he points over his head where the same apparition Will had spotted with him in the van calmly hovers above.

“Remy found a lake”, Nico discloses with an innocent blink of his eyes. “He’s leading me to it. I won’t be long, promise.”

“A lake?” Will repeats, “Can one of us come with you? It’s not wise to be alone.”

“Nope” Nico instantaneously replies, then proceeds to give him a small stink eye. “The three of you stay here and guard the van you all ruined.”

“Aw man, that’s not fair.” Percy’s shoulders slump into the perfect illusion of a dejected child denied of his snack privileges. “Jason’s the one who crashed it. At least take _me_ with you”, he woefully pleads, his infamous cub seal eyes working Nico up to its fullest. Like any normal demigod, Nico seemed about ready to give in and allow it.

That blushing cute face of Nico’s was enough to make Will swoon though, so he’s not preoccupied with caring what Percy looked like. Outlasting longer than Percy probably would have hoped, Nico abruptly turns to leave. “Stay here Percy and don’t make a mess of things.”

“Nico!” Now his expression shatters to that of his usual incredulous one when accused of something. Will smirks at him as he continues to call Nico back, but the boy is on his merry way without so much as a glance back.

Shame. Will would have loved to join him as well... to keep each other safe. No other reason behind it...

Will walks over to the van and faced the tinted window in front of him, his reflection as filthy as he expected it to be. If he concentrated hard enough on something else, he could ignore the way he appeared. The summer heat was unrelenting on them, and the caked dirt in his fingernails felt just as terrible but he’ll simply have to deal with it until Nico returns. Hopefully safe. 

Percy gave up after a while, and the three of them had nothing better to do than relax under the shade of a tree. The work they’ve done so far proved useless and tiring. No amount of will can make the van move anytime soon so they rested as he had advised earlier.

Unfortunately, it was ridiculously boring. Jason was unsurprisingly peeved about Percy’s ‘all your fault’ charade since the morning so he wasn’t very talkative at the moment. Percy is sad that Nico left him with them and continued to complain about their bad luck while Will was tired in general.

Luckily that bump on his forehead has disappeared – thanks Nico – but he had a throbbing headache coming on due to... well, he’ll blame the heat to spare himself from further thought. Percy’s attempts to have fun were forgotten when Will and Jason were unresponsive but that didn’t stop him from chatting up a storm.

Flopped over the log they’ve been sitting on for the last few minutes, Percy suddenly jolts up like an idea had sprung life. They both don’t ask when he runs to his discarded bag. Then he digs out his laptop. Percy gives them a dirty grin, implications _very_ implied, and Jason was the first to react. The closest twig he could find wasn’t nearly as big as the one _he_ found but when they threw it at Percy, he still gleamed with intent.

“Percy, no!” Jason gravely starts, “It’s not right and you should know better.”

“You’re the one who still watched with me” he rolls his eyes. Percy hurriedly makes his way to them, but Will notices the way Jason flushed in embarrassment, that reminder going straight to his head no doubt. He looked absolutely ashamed, and just the slightest bit thoughtful. Will idly wonders what Nico would think if he knew that Jason loved the idea of him in his baggy shirts.

“This is our chance to watch another video” Percy goes on unperturbed, ignoring them and the inevitable pain in the foreseeable future if Nico discovers them out in the open like this. Too dangerous. Will would much rather keep his eyes in their sockets.

Still, curse the universe _and_ his haggard state because he finds he’s too weak to the temptation of Nico and what he could possibly see of him. He hates himself for it, but it’s all he can do incline the way he does when Percy sits and adjusts the screen for them.

“Don’t you want to live to see another day?” Will mutters in warning. He’s literally not one to talk. In fact, he could walk away now, hide somewhere that’s not here and suffer on his own with thoughts of Nico in any which way his fantasies conjure up. “We’ll be skinned alive. Nico could be back any minute. It’ll be a matter of time before he finds out, you know.”

“Shush” Percy cuts him off, “It’ll be one video and then I shut it off. Now then...” he holds his hand out to Jason.

“No. Way.” Jason stands, “We’re invading Nico’s _privacy_. Ever think about that. I can’t just let you do this either” he crosses his arms, “I’ll be sure to hold on to the flash drive so you can forget about watching any more videos from now on.”

“Jason, give it up already. I know you want to see more.”

“N-no I don’t”, he huffs softly, “...But even if I did, I refuse to give in...” he awkwardly admits, “I’m not gonna kid myself. Seeing Nico, um, that way is... different, but I also don’t want to be a loser like you.”

“Hey, you’ve watched two videos so far, what’s the harm in watching a third?”  Percy taunts, his outstretched hand reaching Jason further in hopes of getting that flash drive hidden in his pocket.

Will should side with Jason and tell Percy to let this go. What they’re doing is clearly beyond invasive and he would never want to draw that sort of discomfort to Nico. More so than that, he still can’t fathom the sort of actions he was ambiguously forced into by Jared. He absolutely _hates_ the idea of Jared touching Nico let alone having sex with him.

Will’s stomach knots the same churning way it had when he first found out about this. With that first video. It was only tolerable to watch because Nico was incredible beautiful, but no matter how many times he refuses to acknowledge it, Jared held him intimately first. Above all else it was Jared Nico was technically close to and Will feels infuriated by that fact alone.

It’s not his place. Will can’t tell Nico whether Jared is good for him or not. Nico decides that for himself, but Will wishes he’d gotten closer to Nico sooner. Before Jared came along and took all of Nico’s time away from him.

Now that he thinks about...he really can’t remember when that was. Jared simply showed up with Nico one day...relatively comfortable together too. They were sort of friends at first? Or, they were simply aware of each other? No... That’s not it.

He’d focused on the wrong thing-

“How long is it?”

“Not that long... but remember, just one.”

What? Will blinks up and slightly smirks when he sees Jason hesitantly scooting closer. He’d given in. He still looked reluctant, but Percy must have had to push him hard to get the little device from him.

Will vaguely wonders more about Jared’s mysterious relationship with Nico before they were ‘intimate’, but when the video Percy clicked on starts, he takes a side note to ask Nico later. If he doesn’t suspect anything, the question should be rather innocent. Then again, Nico might not appreciate it at all.

Still...

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

Regretting anything now would be a little too late for him. It’s not like he knew what he’d see. Plus, he figured it would be the same ‘Nico playing hard to get with Jared’ again. For the most part it still was, but this video was far different than the first two. Nico was being a more willing participant by the end of it all.

It’s agreed between them that Jared is a nasty piece of work. But he was a jerk that knew Nico’s body _well_. The titles were as misleading as ever, but the content was forever sexual. With each video he realized they get progressively...uh, adventurous. Nico’s body is definitely explored but at least Jared’s appearances were kept to a minimum at best.

This video in particular, Percy saw Nico more exposed than he’d ever seen in his life. Nico is usually covered from head to toe in drab colored clothes, so he’s only ever lucky to see small winks of his skin. That’s the _little_ he’s rewarded with. So he’s wide eyed once again to see Nico _naked_ of all things.

Jared’s camera rattles with every step he takes to cabin 13. It was one of those bright sunny days that has every camper running around outside. All except for one. Nico was held up inside his cabin and Jared enters despite the last warning he had received. He ignored every few calls to his name in order to reach one son of Hades.

Once inside, Jared lets the lens of the camera glide over Nico’s lax form on the bed where he’s reading. Actual reading. Slightly struggling, yes, but the second Jared gets closer, Nico lowers the book and glares at him. He doesn’t even bother covering up. Because if he hadn’t already mentioned it, Nico only had a white fluffy towel thrown over his hips.

 _“Ever heard of knocking”,_ was his terse greeting to him.

_“Sure have, but I’d rather not waste the energy if I know you aren’t going to answer.”_

Nico rolls his eyes and lifts the book back up to practice reading. Percy would think that Nico would desire some peace and quiet, but he simply ignores Jared when he began talking. _“Why are you still reading that? I thought you said you weren’t going to school?”_

School? Was Nico not enrolled in school? Hadn’t Chiron wanted him to get an education? At least Percy finished up his senior year. Nico doesn’t answer though, so Jared opted to crawl on the bed towards him for attention. Gently, he set his hand down on Nico’s ankle but there’s no reaction.

 _“Malcolm refused to give you tutoring or something? Don’t tell me you’re doing this for fun?”_ he teased him.

 _“What if I am? I’m not going to let an idiot like you hold me back from good reading, so fuck off”_ he shoos tiredly. His gaze is hard set on the pages of his book. The look of concentration is not once broken even as he spoke to Jared.

 _“Nico I want to do something_ more _fun”_ he hints at quite pathetically. Nico lifts his head up at that and gives him a nonplussed look, the subtle surprise in his eyes vanishing quickly into that of a playful smile.

 _“Yeah, well come here then”_ he bites his lips and cants his head. Percy blinks and feels his mouth drop a bit. Okay... _not_ what he expected to hear. If anything, he wanted to see Nico kick Jared out already. His own shock was short lived however when Jared giddily leans in and Nico all but smack him with his book.

_“OW!”_

_“Who the fuck cares what you want!”_ Nico starts angrily, _“Don’t expect me to you inbred dog! Go hump a tree and leave me alone!”_

 _“What the fuck, I waited all this time for you!”_ he complains, _“You’re already naked so don’t hold out on me.”_

 _“I don’t want you’re filthy hands to touch me.”_ Nico crossed his arms and scrunched his nose to express his disgust for him, _“And I don’t want to take another shower because of you.”_

 _“I washed my hands”_ Jared supplied with a snicker. Nico was not amused. _“It’s not like it’s gonna matter though after I’m done with you”_ he soon promised. His camera takes a moment to pan Nico’s long soft body on the bed and Jared hums in appreciation.

The towel was still around Nico’s waist but whether that was a good thing or not, Percy hadn’t decided yet. It does things to his insides he had trouble controlling. Jared’s fingers runs up the smooth length of his legs and Nico bends them slightly at the knees, almost unsure of himself. When Jared tried pulling at the only protection he had, Nico catches the offending limb and twists it at the wrist.

Jared yelps in pain but he gets brave and pounces Nico anyways. The camera topples over the side and lands upright so the whole tussle that ensues on the _other_ side of the bed is captured. Nico kicks and screams at Jared about being a pervert again. Jared is playful nonetheless, laughing the whole time that he has Nico under him.

It’s almost ridiculous the way Jared manages to grope his ass. Victory isn’t enough to describe the pure joy he finds in molesting Nico’s bubble butt. Nico whines softly, aware of the hand pinning him to the ground now sliding over the small of his back to join the other hand massaging his backside.

 _“Jared, get off me right now!”_ he thrashes helplessly.

 _“Have you been practicing here again?”_ Jared merely inquires, a finger likely probing at the rim because all too suddenly, Nico’s voice is caught in his throat and his eyes roll back in his head.

Percy can barely choke down his own surprise. He also couldn’t bother to care what Will and Jason were feeling next to him about the new information. As in Nico secretly fingering himself. That’s interesting... very interesting, yeah.

 _“N-No”_ Nico immediately whimpered. A dark blush creeps up his face and settles on the tips of his ears so in turn, Jared teases him more about it. _“Stop p-poking me!”_ he weakly protests.

_“Oh right, forgot you were sensitive.”_

_“Get off me already, you giant prick. That’s the last time I ever let you do this to me again”_ he growls.

 _“What? Oh please, you can’t go a day without something up here to satisfy you.”_ To prove his point Jared rams his finger back in and Nico savagely claws at the wooden floor.

 _“Stop! Stop!”_ Nico cries outs. Jared mercifully does and quickly lifts off the floor with Nico in his arms. The camera stays where it is but Percy doesn’t need see to know what’s happening next. Nico, as it turns out, can be incredibly vocal when touched a certain way.

After some time the screen blacks out and a new scene reappears with Nico on his side panting softly. A subtle hint of sweat sheens his pale skin perfectly. Hands are kneading at his side, petting his loose-limbed arm and curved back before playful skimming along his hip and thigh. Nico all the while enjoyed the comforting attention.

The camera is lifted higher in the air to catch Nico’s face but Nico swats it away, _“I said no camera”_ he croaked quietly.

 _“Yeah, yeah...”_ Jared mumbled softly. He sounded like he was in a trance or something. Judging by the way he was touching Nico, he was probably too distracted to care either. Nico’s hips were on their side but Jared thought it better to suddenly set him on his knees. Nico gasps and he pouts over his shoulder when he realizes Jared’s intentions.

 _“You've got to be kidding me...”_ he huffs tiredly, _“I don’t want to go along with your ridiculous fantasies anymore.”_

 _“Don’t be like that”_ he chuckles, “ _You were pretty into before.”_

 _“No I wasn’t”_ Nico instantly blushed.

 _“Deny it all you want, I’m still going to continue. Lay down”_ he eagerly orders. “Y _ou know what to do.”_ Nico looks like he wants to argue but he sighs and does as he’s told. Percy actually covers his blushing face behind his hands for a moment. He admits, he hadn’t been ready for that view. Nico was willingly presenting himself.

The globes of his ass were carefully pulled apart and Jared immediately thrusts his finger in him without warning. Nico squeaks in surprise but groans in pleasure at the familiar ministration. Percy could tell he’d been thoroughly prepped before this because his rim was incredibly pink and wet. The digits don’t meet any resistance. In fact, Nico sort of swallows them up.

Nico weakens more and more though, his trembling thighs unsupportive and tired until finally they give out and he falls to his stomach, _“...C-coming-... I’m going t-to come...”_ he moans brokenly, his very hips snapping at every thrust inward.

 _“Spread your legs wider”_ Jared grunts lowly, his fingers suddenly pulling out to grab one of Nico’s arms and make him spread himself. Nico whines and holds his own thigh to his chest so that Jared could close in on him. The camera is abandoned to the side but Percy realizes it was levitating slowly. What the?

He doesn’t know how that’s possible but his focus lands back on the two. Jared has Nico half on his side, half on his stomach. The two work together to open Nico up and give Jared complete access to slide his dick inside him with ease.

Nico cries out. _“Oh gods!”_

_“Haa...shit...”_

Jared’s thrusts were quite vigorous and aggressive. Nico was unable to hold back how much he was starting to enjoy that. He went so far as to let go of his own leg and wrap his hand around Jared’s neck to hold on tightly. It wasn’t what Percy wanted to see, but he of course couldn’t look away.

Jared kissed his neck the whole time he fucked Nico into the mattress but he pushed deeper still. Far too deeply for Nico to handle. He moaned and clawed at the bed sheets next, only Jared didn’t let up. It drove him to thrust faster, and Nico turned beautifully pliant as he was being used this way.

 _“I’m close”_ Jared said breathlessly, pulling the leg hooked around his arm over to the other side so he could pin Nico on his back instead. Nico arches towards him at the sudden new position but doesn’t forget to wrap his arms and legs around Jared.

 _“Me too...me too...”_ he whimpered. “ _I’m c-coming!”_

Percy feels himself leaning in, a sudden desire to see Nico’s face as he comes no matter what when held this way. But the back of his neck prickled like it sensed danger nearby and a shiver so terrible traveled up his spine Percy knew it was anything but bad news.

“What are you three doing?”

Uh oh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you all think by leaving a comment.
> 
> I don't know when I'll have the next chapter ready so please be patient with me.  
> If you want something to read in the meantime you could always read my other fanfic.  
> I updated it (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞ [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6744373/chapters/19889794)
> 
> Bye for nowヽ(〃･ω･)ﾉ


	6. Not your intention? Yes it was!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, so sorry I've kept you waiting.  
> Hope you can forgive me. 
> 
> This has been ready for a while but there was something unsatisfying about this chapter that made me edit it over and over again.  
> There are probably still some mistakes but you can just ignore that right :)
> 
> Anyways enjoy(~˘▾˘)~

Percy’s hand hovered over the screen, too late in its attempt to hide the raunchy visuals of Jared and Nico partaking in sex. His mind took a moment to catch up with itself, but until then he was left frozen in place, dread filling his stomach and jostling its way to his chest.

With what little dignity he had though, and knowing very well he’ll be held responsible for their current predicament, he sputtered out an excuse. “T-this isn’t...we-we’re not...nothing...I mean-”

Together they scrambled to a stand. He could feel the searing intensity in the accusing eyes of the ghosts he hadn’t thought would be wandering about close by. Percy stared back, an enormous amount of shame hanging over his head over this. Joanna lingered over to him specifically, her expression that of amusement and curiosity when she caught sight of the laptop in his hands. Video still playing.

“For shame...” another ghost shook her head. A small woman no older than 50.

“What are they doing?” Joseph whispered to another ghost, utterly lost to the situation and the fact that they’ve been caught watching something unbelievably inappropriate for a child to understand yet. They might as well have had their hands down their pants with the way most of them suddenly glare. The ghosts closest to Joseph immediately wrapped their hands around his eyes and ears, shaking their heads before disappearing out of there.

“Well this is a surprise...” Joanna giggled. Unlike the others, she calmly took a seat on the log and watched with detached interest how Jared holds Nico to the bed. “I don’t suppose Nico knows of this? Probably not...It wouldn’t fair well for the three of you if he did.”

“Y-you...you’re not going to tell him are you?” Will hesitantly inquires, realization finally dawning on him about what this could truly mean for them. It wasn’t Nico, but the ghosts _do_ love to gossip.

Joanna gives them a long thoughtful look before shrugging, “No. Not if he asks anyways. Either that or he’ll force it out of me. When it comes down to it, it’s really not my decision” she smiles. “Let’s also hope the other ghosts don’t go babbling to Nico first.” With that she disappeared herself, leaving them alone to stew in their own sudden mortification.

“Oh...” Will’s shoulders slump. That small vestigial of hope that had been lingering in him drained from his being. He plopped down on the log and hid in his hands. “He’s going to kill us” he guaranteed out loud. “We’re dead. I knew I shouldn’t have watched...”

“No” Percy jumped in, “No he won’t because- because he’s not going to find out. We just pretend like nothing’s happened... Like we always do.”

“Percy, I hope for your sake you’re going to stop watching any more videos” Jason grimly warns, “We wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for you. How could I have been so stupid...” he growls to himself.

Percy scowled, that accusation striking a nerve with him, but it was also true. As more days had passed by without getting caught, Percy figured he could still watch a video and not fear the consequences. But he may have gone too far this time.

He hadn’t expected the ghosts of all things to stick around. They usually find a way to flee and enjoy the small lapse of freedom they’re given while Nico wasn’t there to keep them in line. If anything, the ghosts always complain about wanting a break _away_ from them more than they do of each other. Percy had miscalculated.

He was about to speak up in rebuttal, too stubborn to admit his fault yet, when a new development occurred. They all twitched to a start, the sound of Nico’s startlingly angry voice in the video cutting through the silence. Percy set the laptop down and kneeled, the addiction he has for this unable to stop him from watching what unfolded next.

 _“Get off, get off!”_ Nico hissed in annoyance, _“Ugh!”_

Nico flung Jared away, but to Percy’s confusion he threw himself over the bed too in the most uncharacteristically frantic way possible. Nico wasted no time in yanking the sheets with him to cover his lovely naked body while Jared’s outstretched arm lifted towards the camera in the air. The door then bursts open without warning and it took them all by surprise when Percy’s voice resounds loudly in the room.

 _“Nico!”_ he called out, seemingly irritated by his absence, _“Nico you better not be hiding from me. You promised. Nico?”_

The camera had fallen too fast for Jared to catch in time so it landed on the floor a hair’s breadth away from touching Jared’s fingers. Nico and Jared stare at each other wide eyed, that much they could still see. As Percy drew closer to them though, the panic in Nico’s eyes vanishes and he calmly reveals his head.

 _“Percy!”_ he angrily starts, _“You can’t just barge in like that! You scared me half to death!”_

 _“Wha- Hey, I’ve been waiting for hours in the arena for your lazy butt so I came to get you myself. You were sleeping weren’t you?”_ he huffs, _“You’re always sleeping in...”_

Nico falls silent for a moment and Jared, the asshole, slowly grins from where he lays beneath Nico, his hand placed over his mouth to help hold in his laughter. Oh gods. Jason and Will slowly turn their head to stare incredulously at Percy. He can practically hear what they were thinking. Percy blushes brightly, the sudden realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.

Nico doesn’t sleep in. He has sex. He’s been having sex with Jared. All this time he’d assumed, as did everyone in camp – Jason and Will probably no exception – that Nico took naps and avoided him to rest in excessive amounts. It would account for his pale complexion. Which over the years has not _once_ basked in a stream of sunlight. Instead, he favored getting boned by a jerk who really only ever cared about letting off some steam the only way he knew how. On Nico.

 _“Uh...”_ Nico clearly didn’t know what to say next but he quickly regained himself and continued with (feigned?) annoyance, “ _Of course I was. But now that you’re here I might have better luck sleeping in the Apollo cabin. Now get the fuck out, you’re a nuisance.”_

 _“No. Way.”_ Percy held fast, not the least bit withered by the cold venom thrown at him, “ _You were supposed to help me clean the stables today. An_ hour _ago.”_

 _“If you expect me to touch horse shit with you, you are far mistaken...”_ Nico growled lowly, _“Ask Annabeth to do it with you and leave me out of it!”_ he yells at him, a tad too angrily in everyone’s opinion. Jason and Will wince, offering Percy a bit of sympathy when they see him dismayed and hurt. There was something else too. They sort of share a look, something that startles them into sudden realization, like they’re thinking of the same thing, but they quickly look away and settle back to watching the video.

_“I can’t let Annabeth do that! Besides, she’s busy...uh, with reading and stuff. With important documents for her new buildings...and I don’t want her hands to get damaged...”_

Another lapse of silence followed but this was more strained and awkward. Something in Nico’s expression hardens and Jared, who had momentarily closed his eyes, shakes his head in disapproval as if pained by Percy’s seemingly insensitive words. Words that Jason and Will don’t seem to appreciate either. But Percy, lost to the change in mood, thinks nothing of it.

With his jaw set and eyes narrowed, the son of Hades calmly breathes out, some restraint in place as he says his next words. _“Get. Out.”_ Nico demands a second time, _“Right now.”_

 _“What...”_ Percy is taken aback, _“No, you gotta-”_

 _“I said right now!”_ He snaps, _“I know for a fact Annabeth won’t mind getting her_ precious _hands dirty. And don’t you dare assume I’ll step in her place because you couldn’t get anyone else. Now for the last time, leave!”_

 _“Fine”_ Percy muttered, sounding surprised and disillusioned that Nico refused to help him.

The three hear the door close and Nico finally relaxes, but his eyes immediately sadden at his leave. _“Dammit... I shouldn’t have done that...”_

Percy blinks rapidly. Wait what...

 _“Forget that”_ Jared grunts and sits up. _“Now then, let’s continue”_ he nips his skin, _“from where we left off...”_ Jared runs his hands under the covers and peels the sheets away to expose his soft body.

 _“No, I’m done...”_ Nico unceremoniously shoves his face away from his neck, _“No more games...I’m going to take another shower. This is all your fault”_ he bitterly states. Nico comes to a stand and steps out of shot so they only see Jared on the floor, his expression that of shock.

 _“Aw come on!”_ he protests in disbelief, _“Don’t tell me you’re secretly ditching me for that dolt. That’s just unfair.”_

A bundle of clothes collide heavily with Jared’s face for that. He yelps in pain when a pair of shoes Nico had also thrown his way hit him directly in the chest. _“If I had a choice on how to spend my time between the two of you, I’d choose to be with Percy shoveling shit!”_ he admittedly claims, _“But now I can’t have that because of you!”_

 _“But he was going to use you”_ Jared rolls his eyes.

_“As if you’re not already doing that you fucking prick!”_

_“At least I’m honest...”_ he mutters lowly to himself, begrudgingly starting to dress in his wrinkled clothes now that Nico wasn’t going to let him have his way. _“I can’t believe you’d rather clean up after the Pegasus than have sex with me. Don’t you hate those damn horses...”_

 _“Hurry up and go”_ he irritably demands.

 _“Alright already, jeez”_ he scoffs.

He reaches for his camera last and points it at a hastily dressed Nico. They all see him disappear into a shadow where he’ll probably end up in the communal showers outside. Just like that the video ends. Percy heavily sits down on his heels and knees as he faces the empty black screen, his head currently in a jumble of thoughts about what he just witnessed.

...Nico...loved to spend time with him?

Whether it be in some tedious task or not, he _just_ admitted to enjoying his company rather than Jared’s. Didn’t he? That small information filled him with something wonderfully happy even though he had no reason to be. After all, he’d just been sent away quite coldly.

Percy still remembers that day. He recalls being sadden at the prospect of working alone and although it may not have seemed like it, he had been thinking of Nico first when he went searching for help. Annabeth really had been busy at the time though.

In fact, she had been too busy to remember Percy had been placed on stable duty. Of course, Percy didn’t want to bother her work too so he figured since Nico was ‘technically sleeping’, which he wasn’t – he knows that now – he’d be a bit willing to offer some assistance. He hadn’t thought of anyone else but him.

This was eye opening for Percy.

Not only had he been right, Nico would’ve possibly jumped at the idea of accompanying him. He would’ve agreed right way. ‘Course, he’d of likely made a show of not wanting to, but this just proved otherwise.

The unfortunate circumstances were in the way of that and just as Nico had said, Jared was to blame. _Jared_ had prevented him of some alone time with Nico. Even _if_ it were to clean up horse poop.

Percy blushed even brighter and buried his face in his hands, tipping forward to lay atop his own lap and groan miserably. The embarrassment was finally starting to catch up to him. He’d been close to finding Nico and Jared.... ‘in the act’. Not only that, he had gone to _complain_ like a child while the two of them were completely naked on the other side of the bed that stood between them.

It was ridiculous when he thought about it.

Jason and Will pat his back, and he acknowledges their sweet attempt to comfort him but he felt too humiliated to think about anything else. He wanted a hole to swallow him up so he could forget the ridiculousness of it all. Forget it ever happened.

Actually, a part of him strongly latched on to the part at the end.

The look of utter guilt and remorse he saw in Nico when he’d sent Percy away so coldheartedly was, in his opinion, touching. It played in his mind over and over again.

If Jared hadn’t been there, would Nico have truly been happy to join Percy? Would he have smiled instead?

He hoped so...maybe he can see for himself...

 

~~~

 

“Of all the things you can do! Nico you promised me!”

Jason turns with Percy to see Will fuming at Nico over by the fire pit. Nico, the devilish little vixen just shrugged his shoulder and rolled his eyes, calmly sipping his bottle of Gatorade and eating as Will continued to lecture.

“Oh great, more fighting...” Jake muttered as his hands quickly tinkered with something hiding under the hood of the van. Jason looked away and sighed with the Hephaestus’ boy.

Oh, right... Why is Jake there? Well...

After Percy had put his laptop away, they all freaked out and screamed when Nico suddenly appeared out of nowhere from behind. By his side stood Jake, or rather, he was hunched over heaving at the ground before claiming he hated Nico’s guts.

“Wha- Nico!?” Will spoke first.

“I’m back” Nico announced with a smug smirk, amused by all means that he’d given them a ‘fright’.

“You- Jake? Why is...did you just shadow travel to camp? Are you kidding me!?”

Turns out Nico had planned for this even _before_ he’d left to ‘bathe in the lake’. Nico immediately shadow traveled away to camp half blood, hunted down the son of Hephaestus, kidnapped his unsuspecting ass, and shadow traveled back to them.

Will grinded his teeth and pulled Nico aside to discuss _why_ he shouldn’t have done that. Nico took it in stride, understanding _why_ Will was upset although not particularly caring.

Honestly, Jason was secretly grateful to Nico for thinking ahead.

Did that mean he should have gone behind their backs? No. He could’ve at least said _something_.

Will eventually stopped and caught Nico in time before he could hit the ground when he passed out. All that power and energy he’d used wasn’t much, but it’s taken its toll on him. Nico was still healing after all.

By the time Nico had awaken, Jake had already explained to them that he was just there to fix up what was broken. The van. And he’s done a marvelous job of it. Will, meanwhile, overtly watched over Nico’s healing process.

Basically, he told him to sit down and drink some Gatorade.

Nico hadn’t really cleaned up either, Jason noticed. He changed into some nice clean clothes. Wiped away much of the dirt on his skin. He looked far better than they did, but he was cranky and smelly and Will hadn’t helped with his mood.

But Jason was just happy he was back and the van was up and running. In fact, it looked good as new. Jake really did wonders on it. From what Jason could tell, there weren’t any visible dents.

“Okay~” Jake beamed at last, putting away his tools and standing proudly next to them as he looked over his magnificent work, “Its done.”

“Wow” Percy uttered softly, idly running his palm over the back doors as if looking for any sign of damage that was previously there.

“This is great Jake” Jason smiled, “Thanks for everything”

“No problem” he chuckled, “Now, if anything happens _call_ me first before that little klepto comes sneaking into my cabin” he points at Nico.

The sons of Hades ignores him though and slurps up a bundle of noodles into his hungry mouth. Jason had offered the meal to him at some point, cutting into Will’s ‘talk’ and blushing when Nico excitedly jumped at him in gratitude. Just to aggravate Will more, he had stuck his tongue out and sauntered off to enjoy it alone.

“Oh don’t worry”, Will finally wandered over to their side, “We won’t let him do that again.”

At this, an empty cup of noodles hits him on the back of his head so Will stares incredulously at Nico for doing such a childish thing. “I can do what I want you big jerk” he huffed irritably, “It’s not like any of you had any better ideas. At least we can leave now.”

He stood and walked towards them, grumbling the whole way over and making sure to turn the other cheek when Will opened his mouth. Jason resisted the urge to laugh loudly when he saw Will deflate almost immediately. Obviously, he wasn’t used to being ignored.

When Nico gently took a hold of Jake’s arm though, all three shot forward to keep Nico in place as they yelled, “No!”

Nico blinked fast, shocked and confused, as was Jake. “L-let go you idiots. I need to take him back.”

“Do it later”, “Not now”, “Rest some more”, they pleaded at the same time.

Jake burst out laughing when he caught sight of the seriousness in their expressions while Nico shrugged them off and blushed.

“For the last time, I’m _fine_!”

“Oh man, you guys act like he’s some kind of baby” Jake stated between giggles.

“I’m not a _child_ ” Nico immediately protested, voice high and eyes wide in disbelief like he was appalled by that statement alone.

“Could’ve fooled me” Jake snickered, jabbing Nico’s forehead in a teasing manner and making Nico pout. Jason wonders if Nico knows he’s even doing it. Not that he should tease either. Will had failed miserably in getting Nico to take care of himself so now it was his turn for a try.

“Come on” he moved, cautiously taking his hand – secretly enjoying the contact – and leading him to his sleeping bag. “We gotta make sure you don’t pass out again.”

“You gotta be kidding me...” Nico muttered lowly to himself. By now, it seems he’s also given up in pushing them away. It won’t accomplish anything he realizes and Nico knows how stubborn they can also be.

Jake pulled his own set of blankets and made a makeshift bed next to Nico’s, snickering the whole time he saw Nico glaring at the sky and avoiding Jason’s caring touch.

“So how come you guys decided to leave so early. Would have figured you’d join the rest of camp on their trip...”

“Nico needed help transporting some bodies” Jason explained when it seemed like Nico wasn’t going to say. He was currently sulking about being watched, especially now, as Jason remained by his side and nervously smiled.

“B-bodies?” he blinked in surprised but followed that by holding out his arms, “Actually, I don’t want to know...”

No longer had he said this did he relax into his blanket and closed his eyes. “Wake me up in a couple hours ‘k” he yawned.

Nico glowered at Jake and turned over on his side to smack him in the face with one of Percy’s pillow pet.

“Hey!” Jason heard him complain from afar but Nico went on to say, “Wait a minute you ingrate. I need you to watch over the bodies while we go wash up.”

Jason, Will and Percy zero in on Nico like he’d spouted some mumbo jumbo but he ignored them while he crawled his way to the bags lying by his feet. Jake sputtered in surprise and cursed Nico out of course. “The hell! Why do I gotta?”

“Because you’re here now and those three dogs smell worse than Mrs. O’Leary after weeks of no bath.”

Okay...that’s not cool. Jason blushed brightly and pouted when Nico threw him a clean towel.

“...Fine” Jake relented when he took a subtle whiff of the air in their general direction. He very discreetly covered his nose and mouth before pulling out something unrecognizable from his tool box. Jason’s learned to not question a gadget’s purpose when it comes to a child of Hephaestus. They usually turn out to be useful once they’re complete.

Nico grabbed a few more things and gestured them away from their camp site. “Come on, I won’t be able to stand the stench any more.”

Leave it to Nico to make them feel even more embarrassed about themselves. The three followed silently after him once Nico called to the ghost nearest him. Within minutes they reach a small waterfall. It was well hidden and beautiful but it was no surprise to Nico apparently.

“Thanks Remy” Nico smiled at the ghost who smiled back and nodded. Before he completely disappeared, he gave them a lecherous smile and waved knowingly. Jason hoped with all his might those ghosts don’t run off to cause them trouble with their gossip but that’s just wistful thinking.

He now wonders how long it’ll take before Nico finally gets wind of what they’ve been doing behind his back. It scares him to think that he’ll lose Nico because of this. Jason was quite certain the son of Hades will disappear from their lives if he learned about their perverted tendency to watch videos of him. He’ll have every right to leave though and somehow, that saddens Jason more.

“What are you three waiting for?” Nico arched a brow, “Get in already.”

Jason finds him already situated in the shallow part of the water leisurely enjoying himself. He’d removed his shirt but his shorts were still on. He hesitated at first, as did Will and Percy, but they complied and removed their clothes. Nico was courteous enough to look away and play with the fresh water but Jason hardly cared if he saw his bare chest or his ass for that matter.

Then again Nico was still shy about these kind of things...or at least he always assumed he would be in the past. Now that he knew the kinds of things Nico was capable of doing in the privacy of his own cabin, Jason wonders what he can truly tolerate. Did that include nudity?

Jason kinda wanted to impress Nico though so he resolved himself to strip everything and jump in the water with Percy and Will unperturbed. It’s not like he hasn’t been naked with other people before. For some reason it just felt a little different with Nico. Because Nico wasn’t just anybody.

Will and Percy could also care less about controversial things such as nudity. Besides, Percy’s already swimming to his heart’s content while Will was just relieved to finally wash away the filth that had been persistently stuck to his body.

Splashes of water are thrown Nico’s way but he just smirks and kicks back what he can at them in return.

“Hey!” Nico yelped and kicked at Jason some more when he’d gotten bold and grabbed his ankle. Jason wanted to be closer to Nico, no matter how trivial the contact may be, he was determined to get close. So he grinned and pulled even harder until he managed to bring him into the deeper end of the water.

“Jason!” Nico panicked slightly, seemingly afraid of slipping and crashing into him instead. Jason took ahold of him anyways and threw him towards the cascading fall of the water nearby. He didn’t count on Nico’s receiving grip so they both ended up sputtering water. “Ugh! You idiot!” Nico yelled at him, quickly trying to swim away but Percy jumped in his way.

“Come on Nico” he cackled, “Let’s get you all nice and clean too” he says before proceeding to gently dunk his head with bubbles of water and scrubbing his hair teasingly.

“Percy, leave me alone” Nico demanded. He swatted at him quite adorably so Will had to come in and take a hold of his arms. Together they washed Nico and it may have been uncalled for but at some point they pulled at his shorts and underwear too.

“What are you doing!” he squeaked in surprise, unbelievably embarrassed by this, but they simply continued scrubbing him down – Jason deciding this moment to be the best in his demigod life.

All the while this was going on, Nico kept complaining about being treated like a child and not liking the attention and so on and so forth. This wiggling cutie made it hard for them to keep him from slipping away, but they’ve managed somehow.

“Don’t touch me” he pushed at Will’s face before pushing at Percy’s. The three were circling him so he couldn’t exactly escape. He’d just end up swimming into one of them after turning away from the other. Nico was so pretty and cute and illuminating in the glowing water that Jason just couldn’t help himself. He hugged him from behind and laughed.

“Jason!” Nico pushed at him next, his arms pinned to his chest while Jason’s large arms circled him. In a useless attempt to swim away, Nico ended up moving them both forward, his small hands splashing at the water desperately. “Dammit.”

Jason realizes that this could be the closet he’s ever been to Nico so Jason hangs on tightly, not daring to let go for anyone. Not even when Will wanted to touch him. He simply twisted Nico out of his reach and Will of course didn’t like it. He glared and tried again but Jason kept pulling away while Nico yelled at both of them for behaving stupidly, not wanting to be a part of this ridiculous cat and mouse game they’ve engaged themselves in.

“It’s getting late already and I want to get out” he grunted.

Well...maybe they should leave. Jason sighs, not particularly liking the idea of ending the small bliss he’s found here but he also didn’t want Nico to catch a cold. Once he nears the ledge of rock with Nico, he helps him on it. Nico immediately tries hide his body with a towel, blushing and glaring at Jason for no other reason than his typical annoyance towards him.

The towel hangs between his legs where he kneels so Jason openly stares, admiring the supple look of his skin or the way his back arched naturally. Nico blinks when he catches him staring so he looks away and takes his own towel next.

This was also the first time he’s seen him naked like this. Jason was definitely going to treasure the sight forever. He wanted another peek of him, Percy and Will no different, but when he glanced back Nico was frozen stiff, his eyes narrowed at something...in the trees perhaps?

“Nico?” Jason softly called but was immediately shushed.

“Be quiet, I think I hear something...” he muttered lowly.

Their heads swivel together to find whatever it is Nico had heard but everything was as it should be, nothing out of the ordinary, and tranquil. Nico jumped back into the water though and they watched him swimming to the other side before looking up.

Something a bit larger than a log suddenly comes falling along the water fall. Percy pulled Nico back before it could hit him but Nico was already focused on inspecting whatever had arrived to bother them.

Nico turned it over slowly and just like that, they were faced with a man gushing out streams of blood from a terrible gash across the side of his head. With a deep frown Nico probed the rest of his body before going back to the wound.

“He’s dead...” Nico announced softly, sadly, with small detachment but Jason wasn’t fooled. And just before they could all say anything, Nico’s head snaps up and he panics. “Hide! Hide! Percy takes us under! Now!” he clutches his arm.

Percy drags them down. And because Jason has an indescribable urge to protect Nico all the time, he holds him to his chest and watches as something blurred and in the shape of a person appears over the small cliff edge above the waterfall. Then it leaves.

Was that...

Nico holds them back from resurfacing just yet, but after a few minutes they swim up.

The body floats about in the dirtying water, and Nico all but stares at it. Percy was at his side next and he pulled him in, an arm wrapping around his waist to lead him against his chest. Nico must be really shaken on the inside to allow Percy to embrace him, much less when _he_ did under the water.

“Dammit...” he eventually sighs, “we have to leave now, before someone comes and finds this...”

“Are you...going to leave it here...” Jason asked, a tad surprised that Nico would let this be. Wasn’t his whole job about helping the unrest and unjust.

“I have to, I can’t meddle in things like this. It’ll only lead to more trouble, so let’s go...”

“Can’t we call like the authorities or, or...” Will bit his lips, pale faced and stricken with some sort of grief after he’d seen the body. Jason’s not surprised. He’s always known that as a healer, Will can tend to get personal about death, more so when they’re deaths he could have prevented.

“You can but I’m forbidden to.” Nico turned away, crawling towards the edge of the water and taking his towel.

Will follows though and holds him back, “What do you mean you _can’t_?”

Nico doesn’t say anything for a while nor does he face any of them, but he’s tense, even as Will grasps his arm. With a start, he offers them a sad look. “...death....death always has a way of... finding me...” he slowly began.

“What are you talking about?” Jason swam closer.

“I mean I know _this_ has nothing to do with me but... in some ways it does...”

“You seriously think this is your fault?” Percy deduced, his brow furrowed in confusion by his own words, “That’s crazy...you can’t blame yourself for every-”

“I know” Nico slightly snaps, huffing in annoyance because he gets what Percy’s trying to say. Jason’s frown deepens when Nico’s shoulders droop anyways. “It’s just, no matter where I am, these things, intentional or not happen around me. The souls then come looking for me and they think I can do something but...I can’t......like right now...” he whispered in the end.

“The soul?” Jason ventured, but a sudden chills runs down his spine and he’s forced to turn to see why.

Above them they find a flickering apparition, his expression frozen in terror and screaming agony even though they couldn’t hear anything. Nico turns away, pained by the sight of the ghost before him that is desperately pleading for his help. It was the same man with the deep gash on his head.

Jason is startled away because he couldn’t really fathom what was happening. His mind still hasn’t wrapped around the fact that there was a fresh dead body mere inches away from them. He’s actually _never_ seen anything like this before.

Jason hastily crawls out of the water to kneel next to Nico but immediately stills when he catches him trembling...

Oh...this must be affecting him the most...

Jason takes it upon himself to change fast before wrapping Nico in his fluffy towel. Will and Percy also hurry, the situation too creepy for them to handle anymore. Nico’s carried in his arms and they speed walk away, the lost soul unable to follow now that he’s permanently tied to his murder site.

They pause a good mile from the spring and he sits Nico down on a large boulder.

Nico is currently twisting and cupping his hands in agitation. They don’t speak. They simply let him be before he closes his eyes and takes deep breaths to ease down a bit.

“You okay now?” Will kneels before him after a few minutes. Nico jerkily nods his head and sighs.

“Y-yeah. Yeah, I’m good, I just need to change” he mumbled.

Jason, Percy and Will stiffen. Wait...

Nico looks around in confusion and almost immediately, he’s back to himself again. His angry, snippy self.

“Where the fuck are my clothes?”

“Uh....” Jason looks to Percy who looks to Will who simply shakes his head.

“You have _got_ to be kidding me” Nico starts, his hands clutching the ends of the towel to cover up better, and blushing as he kicks at Will – the closet, unfortunate idiot. “You halfwits better go back there and get it!”

“N-no way” Percy whimpers first, holding his arms and visibly shivering as he also says, “That thing is still back there...”

Nico gives them all a couple of good hits and yells in frustration. “I’m not going back naked! If you don’t get me something to wear so help me I’ll-”

Out of a desperate need to appease the little demigod Jason hastily pulls off his own shirt and yanks it over Nico’s small head who squeaks and blinks in surprise. “Just wear this in the meantime then.”

Nico is still blinking as he looks down at himself and blushes “...uh...it’s too big...”

“Well it’s all you got” Jason sighs and rubs his head, “Now come on, you can get something better to wear once we get back to the van...”

“N-no...I feel stupid...just go by yourselves and come back quickly with my things...” Nico grumbled, getting more situated as he pulled at the shirt. Jason watched Nico bring his knees up to his chest and run the end of the shirt over them. He sure knew how to bundle up. “Well hurry up!” he smacks him impatiently.

“I’ll stay here with you...” Jason blurted out and quickly sits next to him before looking at Percy and Will, “Go, I’ll take care of him.”

Will and Percy share a seemingly shocked look. Like they weren’t expecting _him_ to say this and they’re especially not too fond of the idea of leaving them alone and defenseless. Jason saw right through them though. He narrowed his eyes and scooted closer to Nico “I’m not going to do anything to him...” he rolled his eyes.

Percy scoffed and turned, “You better not...” he muttered under his breath. Will hesitated for a moment but nodded his head and ran after Percy.

...Finally...

...He was alone with him...

Jason feels his hands clamp anxiously, trembling as they inch closer to the boy on his right. His own body somehow thrums impatiently because of their close proximity. Nico is silent and doesn’t look at him but Jason eventually smiles and brings him over. This was it. This is what he’d wanted for so long.

Nico gasps, his hands shooting out to balance himself as Jason settles him between his thighs.

...Hmmm, maybe he hadn’t thought this through very well...

“J-Jason!?”

“...Y-You’ll catch a cold...” he hastily reasons, “I only want to keep you warm” he grins before ever so casually draping himself over his back. Oh gods, what is he doing?! “See? Isn’t this better?” he chuckled nervously, his voice shaking when Nico stares at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had but he couldn’t sit still anymore.

A part of him was seriously wondering if he was going insane for being so...daring. But the other part was going ballistic with amazement for finally _going for it_ , and this was his reward.

Nico stuttered and squirmed, not used to this in the slightest it seems.

Jason was literally on top of the world right now. It’s almost hard to believe these past few days Nico has let them indulge in their ‘need’ to touch him. He sort of felt it strange that Nico hasn’t avoided them completely either.

In the past, it was definitely different.

If Jason came up to hug him, Nico would forcibly push him back and glare as he strode off. When Will would try to touch him, Nico would constantly slap his hands. And when he’d see Percy approaching him, he’d literally turn the other way and hightail out of sight.

Nico’s changed...

Jason basically had him at his mercy like this.

Nico is practically naked and _vulnerable_ of all things.

This was something Nico has never allowed himself to feel much less let others see, but Jason also knew he was incredibly nervous. He could sense it in the way he’d shiver. His slightest touch made him jolt and if he simply held his hand Nico would begin to tremble.

But Nico does nothing to make him stop.

And...He’s in his shirt...

“...Hey Nico, I know it’s been a while and all, but I was wondering...” Jason bit his lip, his heart racing faster than it was before, but his mind was set on teasing Nico just for a bit. “Did you ever like...give me back my shirt? You know...the uh p-purple one...”

Nico gives him another look, of surprise or confusion, he couldn’t decide but Jason still caught the way he blushed.

“... your... s-shirt? Um...I still h-have it” he awkwardly confessed before realizing his own words and blushing even brighter, “I mean- I think I still have it! It’s probably somewhere in my c-cabin” he tries to dismiss.

“Oh...” Jason simply uttered, his lips threatening to grin broadly but they merely twitch to a small pleased smile. So, he really still has it. He had expected to hear him say he threw it out now that he knew Jared had ripped it to shreds. Guess Nico likes to hold on to ‘meaningless’ things like that.

“...I’ve been meaning to give it back but I keep....uh forgetting...”

“Right, well, I don’t mind...was just wondering...” Jason nonchalantly shrugs, “Keep it if you want...”

“Uh, O-okay...” Nico slowly says.

Jason is stupidly happy by this point. He idly wonders if Nico knows why he’s even bringing it up, but Jason is now intent on taking this further. If Nico likes his shirts so much, maybe he should simply start dressing him.

That thought makes him giddy with joy. Imagining Nico with his baggy clothes made him chuckle loudly but when Nico arches a brow in question he simply buries his face in his neck and sighs. Truly the best day he’s ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to make Jason do something unintentionally naughty with Nico while they were alone but I couldn't go through with it.  
> So to make up for the lack of smut I give you (☞ﾟ∀ﾟ)☞ [ this](http://68.media.tumblr.com/0175a9090f19eb1bf0e7a50d7589cef7/tumblr_okb1msfiRI1sxhdaxo1_540.gif) and [ this](http://68.media.tumblr.com/3e8d18fad9b0dab853c87df74a531bef/tumblr_o5sk7lX80Q1qho7keo1_400.gif)
> 
> It's what I picture Jared doing when he's messing with Nico.
> 
> Tell me what you think by leaving a comment:)


End file.
